8 May 2007
In a bid to beef up the province's crippling Emergency Medical Service
(EMS), the Eastern Cape Health Department has set aside over R40 million to
fill over 40 percent staff vacancies. The department has been operating on a
skeleton staff for more than three years, a situation which saw EMS officials
in East London district downing tools in August last year, demanding an urgent
intervention to the crisis.
Departmental spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said the department has set aside
R30,5 million to fill the 600 vacant posts, while R10,7 million would be used
to buy ambulances and other emergency vehicles. Kupelo said emergency services
had a 1 300 staff complement and needed 600 to have a fully staffed department.
"We have 600 vacancies for which 196 posts have already been advertised. With
the R10,7 million, the department will buy about 50 more emergency vehicles to
boost the current fleet which, together with the new employees will be deployed
all over the province," said Kupelo.
Once employed, these drivers, who are required to have passed Standard 10
and have valid driver's licences and professional driver's permits (PDP), will
be trained in basic ambulance skills to ensure that they can care for patients.
Last year, the Auditor-General revealed that 40 percent of the 1 100 ambulance
drivers had no PDPs, nor were they registered with the Health Professions
Council of South Africa as required by the National Health Act, which could
have resulted in lawsuits against the department.
"That situation has since been resolved," Kupelo said, explaining that the
department had negotiated with the health profession's body on behalf of the
staff, which were accordingly granted amnesty to fully equip themselves. Kupelo
said the department had identified 16 sites in the province on which to build
emergency care centres to add to the five currently existing ones.
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
8 May 2007
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government, (http://www.ecpg.gov.za)
