Tshwane metro, Gauteng in crippling impasse over emergency services

The Gauteng department of health said however, it would continue to provide provincial emergency medical services (EMS) to Tshwane.

“They need not panic,” Kwara Kekana, spokesperson for the health MEC said.

Kekana said the “provincialisation process” that took place in various municipalities had not affected service delivery.

“The provincialisation process for Tshwane was completed in July 2018. It is rather unfortunate and irresponsible for Tshwane that there is a message that has been sent that alleges that provincial ambulance services in Tshwane have been discontinued.

“This is far from the truth and is nothing but an attempt to cause public panic and alarm the community.”

She said before provincialisation in the period between September 2017 to January 2018, the Tshwane metro on average responded to 4 230 calls while the province attended on average to 4 857 calls in the same period in the same district.

Kekana said that, however, post-provincialisation the Gauteng EMS serviced on average 12 500 calls in Tshwane.

“It must be noted that the application process to obtain an operational licence for all public and private EMS commences once all required documentation have been received by the department of health,” she said.

“We can confirm that the department has not received Tshwane’s application and want to assure the community that we will continue to offer emergency medical services. All calls that come through EMS operations centre are adequately being responded to.”

Kekana said Tshwane and surrounding areas were currently being serviced by a fleet of 222 ambulances and 72 other EMS vehicles.

She said of these, on average there was 10% to 15% of vehicles going in for planned and unplanned maintenance daily.

“The saga of Tshwane comes after the Gauteng executive council took a decision in 2009 to provincialise EMS in order to improve efficiencies with regards to the provision of quality emergency medical services, achieving seamless operations and equitable service across the province with a single command and control, unhindered by municipal boundaries.”

But Tshwane community safety MMC Karen Meyer said the ceasing of Tshwane’s EMS was due to failure by the provincial government to honour an agreement to extend the metro’s emergency services operating licence.

Meyer said in January, a meeting took place between the office of the premier, MEC for health, MMCs from various municipalities, and the health department where it was agreed that an arrangement with the metro’s emergency medical operations would be extended for 12 months from 1 February 2021.

However, no formal writing ever followed and the Tshwane continued to operate based on a verbal resolution.

“Despite numerous follow-ups made in writing with the provincial government, no clear response has been received confirming the intention to honour the meeting’s resolution,” she said.

“Last week Friday, the acting chief of Tshwane emergency services was compelled to cease emergency medical operations, with immediate effect.”

Meyer said the provincial government’s course of action was extremely unfortunate.

“It is unfortunate because ultimately, the residents of Tshwane will suffer as a result of the vacuum that is created by the termination of ambulance services rendered by the metro.”

Tshwane emergency services spokesperson Charles Mabaso said should the Tshwane metro fail to obtain its required licence, then the EMS could only respond to fire, rescue and humanitarian incidents.

Mabaso said an application for a licence was underway.

“Currently, we are taking the matter of the ambulance service as a temporary matter, while we have sent in our application. Once it is sorted we will be back to operations.”

He said he felt that the Tshwane metro EMS department was strong enough to continue rendering services as it was well capacitated to run an ambulance service.

Mabaso said the Tshwane metro’s management and labour departments were also currently engaging on how to utilise the medical staff effectively.