The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) calls for an urgent investigation after the Eastern Cape Department of Health (ECDOH) revealed that only 139 of its 350 ambulances are currently operational. FEDUSA also calls for the suspension of the directorate pending the investigation, as there are concerns that they may interfere with the investigative process.
The high number of non-operational ambulances in the province is a serious injustice to the public, particularly vulnerable communities that depend on Emergency Medical Services (EMS). It deprives them of access to quality public healthcare and raises serious questions about how public resources are managed.
The shortage of operational ambulances results in severe delays in emergency response times, potentially leading to poorer health outcomes, permanent disabilities, and preventable deaths. It also places an additional burden on EMS workers, who already operate under difficult and unsafe working conditions, including the threat of crime and violence. The ambulance shortage also affects vulnerable patients who rely on these ambulances for timely transport to healthcare facilities. How many people must suffer or die before the department recognizes the seriousness of this crisis and takes decisive action?
The shortage of ambulances delays emergency responses, which can put EMS workers at risk, as frustrated and desperate members of the public may lash out when ambulances fail to arrive on time. FEDUSA emphasizes that EMS workers should not be placed in harm’s way because of failures within the public healthcare system.
FEDUSA also has serious questions regarding the impact of non-operational ambulances on workers. What happens to EMS workers who have been assigned to ambulances that are no longer operational? What measures have been put in place to ensure that these workers can continue providing services to communities? What happened to the budget allocated for the maintenance and servicing of these ambulances?
These questions require urgent and transparent answers from the department.
FEDUSA will therefore engage with its affiliates organizing in the public health sector to seek a meaningful engagement with the ECDOH. The purpose is to ensure that the concerns of both healthcare workers and the communities they serve are addressed, and that urgent measures are taken to restore the province’s ambulance fleet to full operational capacity.
FEDUSA affiliate, HOSPERSA, raised an alarm over a critical and potentially life-threatening crisis affecting EMS in the Nelson Mandela Metro, also in the Eastern Cape. The union says members have repeatedly raised concerns about the shortage of ambulances and essential equipment, declining operational capacity, and ongoing human-resource challenges.
HOSPERSA will also be lodging an official complaint with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), calling for an investigation into the reported conditions within EMS and the extent to which the Metro’s EMS operations comply with applicable national standards, norms and professional requirements governing emergency medical services.
FEDUSA calls on the ECDOH to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves and to account for the resources allocated to the provision, maintenance and operation of ambulances.
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For media enquiries contact:
Betty Moleya
FEDUSA Media and Communications
063 736 5533
For interviews:
Riefdah Ajam
FEDUSA General Secretary
079 696 2625