MEC Dr Magome Masike will tomorrow unveil 20 more new ambulances to improve response time in the North West province. This is in addition to 10 obstetric ambulances released early this year to exclusively transport pregnant women.
The developments come as the department charts ways to aggressively respond to the plight of communities and to improve response time to medical emergencies. A total of R14 million has been set aside to purchase 30 more ambulances during this financial year. A further R84.25 million will be channeled towards Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) Satellite Stations and a new planned patient transport model.
To augment the 165 public health ambulances, the department has entered into a fee per service agreement with 16 private ambulance operators to ferry patients during emergencies. Private ambulance operators are only utilised when a state ambulance is not immediately available to respond to an emergency call. This is to ensure that service recipients are not in any way compromised by the unavailability of ambulance.
Ambulances in the province ferry about 16000 patients per month.
Media is invited to cover the unveiling of these ambulances scheduled to take place as follows:
Date: 24 July 2014
Time: 13h00
Venue: Provincial office, Health Department, New Office Park, behind the Crossing Mall (Mahikeng)
Enquiries:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Cell; 082 929 9958
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
