Health department to partner with private ambulance service providers

THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health is entering into a partnership with private ambulance services to ensure timely and quality access to emergency medical services. Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane made this announcement while presenting her budget in the provincial legislature yesterday.

- THAMI MAGUBANE

The budget tabled amounts to approximately R56.2 billion. Simelane revealed that, over the past six years, budget cuts have reduced her budget by nearly R14bn, leaving the department unable to meet some of its critical needs, including the expansion of the ambulance fleet.

“As a result, we are now looking into partnerships with private ambulances operating within the province,’ she stated.

Simelane emphasised the need to confront challenges that directly impact patients. One of the most urgent issues is the pressure on emergency medical services, particularly concerning response times for the evacuation of the sick and injured, as well as inter-facility transfers.

“KwaZulu-Natal’s vast and difficult terrain, coupled with budget limitations, has meant that we have only been able to replace ageing ambulances and not expand our fleet as much as we would have liked,” she explained.