Premier and MEC unveil new fleet for Mpumalanga Department of Health

The Mpumalanga premier, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, and the MEC for health, Sasekani Manzini, unveiled a new fleet for emergency medical services (10 ambulances), forensic pathology (18 vehicles) and mobile clinics (15) at the eMalahleni Stadium on Thursday April 25.

According to the Mpumalanga Department of Health (DoH), the forensic pathology vehicles are worth R14m, while the ambulances cost R12m and the mobiles clinics cost R22m.

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The new fleet is fully equipped and will directly improve the provision of services in the province.
The mobile clinics are to be allocated as follows: six will go to the Ehlanzeni District, four to Gert Sibande and five to Nkangala. Three ambulances are to be allocated for Nkangala, three for Gert Sibande and four for Ehlanzeni.

The three districts each receives six forensic pathology vehicles.

The DoH’s spokesperson, Dumisani Malamule, said: “The emergency medical service is a mobile health facility that responds to various emergencies when it is called, especially to provide services for trauma patients and medical emergency services required. Forensic pathology vehicles are used for transporting a deceased to the forensic pathology laboratories.

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They also play a crucial role in the collection of evidence in cases involving suspicious deaths, homicides or accidents. Mobile clinic services, on the other hand, are primary healthcare services rendered using a mobile clinic that visits identified points. This service is offered in places that do not qualify to have fixed structures, due to among others low population size, which does not meet the norm of a population of 8 000 to 10 000, communities living on farms or remote rural areas, as well as informal settlements.”