More ambulances for Province

WITH a total budget of R425 million allocated to Emergency Medical Services in the Province, the Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, along with the MEC for Health, Maruping Lekwene, handed over 20 new ambulances and 10 new patient transport vehicles just moments before Lekwene presented his R6.1 billion Budget Vote for the 2023/24 financial year.

The event took place at the Department of Health’s Ministry Offices in Kimberley on Wednesday.

Saul said the ambulances were procured in order to address one of the major challenges faced by the department.

“One of the biggest challenges faced by the department is the availability of emergency vehicles. This is the second time we received new vehicles for the department. Two months ago we were in Namakwa where we procured 14 emergency vehicles,” said Saul.

“We will have similar events every quarter of this year. That will ensure that out of a hundred people who might call for assistance from an ambulance, an emergency vehicle will be dispatched to 80 people. Our aim is to increase the availability of vehicles to 90% this year. That will speed up our response time to emergencies and ensure people receive the necessary medical assistance as well as the transportation they need.”

Lekwene urged emergency medical service (EMS) workers and the public to take ownership of the vehicles and ensure they are maintained.

“These vehicles will ensure that we have more hands on board to attend to emergencies. However, we want to appeal to EMS employees and members of the public not to misuse the vehicles. A total of R425 million has been allocated to EMS services, planned patient transport and special operations including disaster management services in the Province. This is an indication that government takes the urgency of medical assistance of people seriously.

“These vehicles are not to make government look good, but they are there to attend to the needs of our people. We need to address and solve the challenge we have in the medical sector as a collective. These vehicles will change and save many lives, but we need to ensure that they are used for the correct reasons,” Lekwene said

Plans are already in place to procure additional vehicles by the end of the fourth quarter of the current financial year.