Joburg ambulances need to deliver the best healthcare to residents
14 June 2021
We must oppose the recent notice from the Mayor to suspend the City's ambulance services, which provides critical healthcare to Johannesburg residents. Johannesburg is one of the hardest-hit by the third wave, and we need to make sure that we can provide residents with the best healthcare possible.
I have received information that that the City’s Emergency Management Services’ (EMS) ambulance services will be terminated with effect as from 19:00 on 11 June 2021. The members of EMS have been told that “From 19h00 11/06/2021 no COJ ambulance is supposed to be seen on the road”.
In June 2019 the DA administration in Johannesburg delivered 42 brand new state-of-the-art ambulances to EMS, boosting its fleet by 72% to 101 ambulances. This meant that each fire station across the City received at least one new ambulance, with the majority of new ambulances allocated to fire stations in townships. The City is now running at less than 10 ambulances per shift, when we need to have at least double that.
The reasons given by the Mayor for the suspension include vehicle insurance and a lack of pharmaceutical supplies.
This decision was taken alongside plans by the Gauteng Department of Health to take over operations of the City's ambulance fleet, despite the department's poor record of ambulance operations. This is despite the fact that the City has the requisite resources and vehicles to provide a city-owned and managed ambulance service to its residents.
Johannesburg needs to apply for own operating license, ensure that its own pharmacy is adequately stocked, and establish a strategic alliance with the private sector in delivering first responders' emergency medical service to all residents.
Most Johannesburg residents are unable to afford private medical care or ambulance services, and their only hope in an emergency situation is for the City to dispatch an ambulance that should arrive within 15 minutes. Instead of working towards this life-or-death goal, the City has turned EMS into empty fire stations with no fire engines or ambulances.
Where we govern the health and safety of residents is put first, resulting in the best levels of healthcare. We want to bring this change to Johannesburg residents so that our City can realise its full potential.
Register to vote from 17-18 July, and vote DA on 27 October. Let's fix Johannesburg together!
Statement issued by Cllr Michael Sun, DA CoJ SMMC for Public Safety, 14 June 2021
