33 Ambulances idle in Mpumalanga due to lack of personnel

In Mpumalanga, 33 provincial ambulances are currently standing idle due to a shortage of qualified emergency medical services (EMS) personnel.

The provincial Department of Health (DoH), under the control of MEC Sasekani Manzini and HOD Dr Lucas Khetani Ndhlovu, currently holds a fleet of 171 ambulances.

This includes two rapid response vehicles (RRVs), one of which is currently not operational. RRVs are usually first responders and must be manned by advanced life support paramedics (ALS).

DoH spokesperson Dumisani Malumela confirmed there are only 67 EMS vehicles in service across Mpumalanga.

Shocking discovery

DA member of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature (MPL) Bosman Grobler said it was shocking to discover that 71 of the EMS vehicles are unserviceable.

“According to the department’s own report, these vehicles are damaged due to accidents, and others have mechanical issues. With the current 171 in the EMS fleet, it is far less than the national prescribed standard of 420 for a population of 5 million,” Grobler told Lowvelder on Monday, March 23.

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According to him, there is one ambulance for every 69 000 residents, when there should be one for every 10 000.

33 vehicles grounded

“Even more worrying are the 33 vehicles that are grounded because there are no crews to be deployed on them. If one looks at the current disastrous state of the DoH, it becomes clear EMS is like their unwanted stepchild,” said Grobler.

Malumela said there are currently 650 EMS staff deployed in the province, which includes 15 ALSs.

The 71 stranded EMS vehicles are reportedly spread across the province, gathering dust in mechanical workshops.

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A source within the DoH HQ, who asked not to be named, told Lowvelder: “What is concerning is the excuses the designated workshop come up with that there are no spares available. Many claim spares must be ordered from overseas,” Lowvelder established that the DoH EMS fleet mainly consists of VW Combis and a few Ford Transits used for ICU transfers.

Colin Sedibe (EFF MPL) said the shortage of ambulances in Mpumalanga is a cause for concern.

Communities stranded

“Communities are crying about the lack of ambulances when they need them. Another worrying aspect is turnaround time for an ambulance call-out. The stipulated turnaround time is three hours, but in Mpumalanga it often takes more than 24 hours to arrive,” Sedibe said.

“We have reported cases of pregnant women giving birth in their homes or in private transport on their way to the hospital. People who get injured during the weekends due to fighting, crime and car accidents end up dying on the streets because of a lack of ambulances.”

Helicopter Emergency Medical Services is part of EMS service delivery.

Malumela rejected the notion of a shortage of air ambulance services.

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“We cannot deliver a 24/7 service, as it is a single-engine helicopter designed to operate only in daylight,” he said.

There is one Mpumalanga chopper, based at the Nelspruit Airport outside Mbombela.