1 in 8 Gauteng ambulances in need of repair

30 July 2015 - 12:56 By RDM News Wire

“At any one time‚ about one in eight ambulances is off the road because they are in a workshop‚” the Democratic Alliance’s Gauteng health spokesperson Jack Bloom said on Thursday. This he extrapolated from answers the province’s health MEC‚ Qedani Mahlangu‚ gave to his questions in the Gauteng Legislature.Mahlangu revealed that “84 out of 667 emergency ambulances in Gauteng are currently not operational‚ and R88-million has been spent on repairing ambulances involved in accidents in the past three years”‚ said Bloom.“According to Mahlangu‚ emergency ambulances were involved in 256 major accidents from 2011 to March this year.”The “number of accidents and cost of repairs is of great concern”‚ Bloom added‚ as‚ “according to international norms‚ Gauteng should have 1200 ambulances to service our population of 12-million people‚ but we only have 787 which includes 120 private ambulances”.“Better management and training of drivers is needed to ensure that as many ambulances as possible are on the roads to save the lives of emergency patients.”..

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.