Patients are allegedly forced to wait in the cold for hours for ambulances to transport them to Kimberly’s Robert Sobukwe Hospital.

In a media statement the Namakwa Civic Movement (NCM) urged Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul to address the province's poor medical facilities.

Healthcare - and ambulance services have been listed as a priority since Saul’s term as Premier started.

NCM chairman Richie Cloete told OFM News that ambulance services are non-functional and cancelling pick-ups for patients because they lack the necessary equipment to treat or transport them.

He adds patients are unaware that transport is not available for them to travel to the Robert Sobukwe Hospital - where they have appointments for specialized care.

Patients are then reportedly forced to cancel their appointments in Kimberly. Cloete claims there is also only one emergency vehicle servicing the entire Nama-Khoi district.

OFM News has sent an inquiry to the Department of Health (DOH).

OFM News/Bambatha Giko