Short-term accord for Tshwane ambulance service welcomed
According to Tshwane MMC for Community Safety, the Gauteng Provincial Health Department has stated that, the City’s application “cannot be finalized and is therefore placed on hold pending a legal mandate and or a formal decision by the Gauteng Provincial Executive Council”.
The temporary renewal of Tshwane’s ambulance services’ licence has been welcomed by the metro in the wake of the Covid-19 third wave.
To achieve a more “seamless operation and equitable service” the Gauteng health department had previously stated it would provincialise the local ambulance service.
MMC for Community Safety Karen Meyer said while the Tshwane metro still needed clarity over the matter and “other confusing correspondence” received from the provincial department, an extended temporary operating licence was granted this week until December.
She said the temporary ambulance licence extension was, however, much needed given the rage of the third wave.
“Tshwane welcomes the extension of its temporary emergency medical services operating licence until 11 December by the Gauteng Health Department.”
The temporary ambulance licence would have expired on Thursday (10 June), had it not been extended.
“This would have had devastating consequences as the third wave of Covid-19 rages.”
She said the temporary operating licence permitted the metro to continue rendering critical emergency medical services, especially as infections surge across the province.
Meyer said this extension would further allow the metro an opportunity to continue seeking clarity from the provincial department about the “delays and confusing statements” over its application.
“The metro has a full complement of staff and equipment to render a critical public ambulance service to the residents of Tshwane.”
She said between March and April, Tshwane’s Emergency Services Department (ESD) responded to almost 2 500 calls.
“The city’s intensive investment in procuring specialised equipment for its ambulance service is a further testament to this. Both he specialised infectious diseases ambulance and the intensive care ambulance have proven indispensable in our fight against Covid-19.”
Since March the metro had been running ambulance services on a special agreement with the Gauteng department after it came to standstill for 12 days.
The department stated that the metro’s application for a long-term licence to operate in the province “cannot be finalised and is therefore placed on hold pending a legal mandate and or a formal decision by the Gauteng Provincial Executive Council”.
Meyer said it was important to note that the Gauteng province had indicated that they would not take over the metro’s ambulances or staff.
“We have 790 emergency medical practitioners in the city, 299 operational medical personnel, 97 vehicles including 73 ambulances, seven transporters and two special infection units.”
The Tshwane metro resumed its ambulance services after it was granted permission by the provincial government, with condition that – the metro would pay for services “without extra cost to the provincial health department”.
Meyer said Tshwane was the third largest city in the world per square kilometre, servicing approximately 3-million residents of which about a third were unemployed without health insurance.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
