The committee was informed that the shortage of ambulances and lack of Advanced Life Support (ALS) Paramedics is one of the contributors that often leads to a low response rate by ambulances in the province. According to the DA’s Gavin Edwards, the committee was informed that the province only has 43 ambulances available to service rural areas. He adds that staff shortages, a lack of communication systems and an inadequate fleet all contribute to the EMRS responding to only 44% of P1 emergency calls in less than 15 minutes in urban areas. Edwards says this “is an utter disgrace that the EMRS are unable to reach 45% of their rural patients within 40 minutes”. 

Edwards further says the Department is unable to provide details of how this statistic is measured as none of the North West EMRS vehicles have any reliable computerised dispatch systems, nor do they have tracking systems. “The shortage of vehicles is compounded by the fact that the Department does not employ a single ALS Paramedic. The department explained that the long registration process complicates the replacement of vehicles,” he adds. Edwards further says against this backdrop, it is clear that patients are left to suffer the consequences of a department that has been mismanaged, is currently under administration, and is tainted by recent tender scandals involving private ambulance services and Mediosa.

The Departmental spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane, has committed himself to respond to these issues later.

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