THE AMBULANCE shortage crisis in the Northern Cape could soon be a thing of the past with the promise of 63 new emergency medical vehicles for the Province.
Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul handed over the first of 27 new ambulances to be distributed to the five districts in the Province yesterday.
Saul, together with the newly appointed MEC for Health, Mase Monnapule, presented the 27 vehicles, consisting of 13 ambulances and 14 patient transporters, to emergency personnel yesterday.
Saul said that the handover was in line with his commitment as premier to make health care more accessible to the poorest of the poor and to improve the quality of public health.
Saul pointed out that the Department of Health had recently received numerous complaints of patients having to wait for up to five hours for an ambulance to arrive.
“Ambulances must get to patients as soon as possible to ensure they get the medical attention they need,” Saul said.
He added that the departments of Health and Education were the receivers of the biggest portion of the fiscal budget and that these departments would remain his primary focus.
“We need to ensure that our people receive only the best health care,” he said.
Saul added that the distribution of the vehicles was the first phase of an eventual distribution that would see a total of 63 ambulances and patient transporters being distributed by the end of the financial year.
Saul, together with Monnapule, also did an inspection of the vehicles and thanked emergency vehicle staff for the “difficult task” they perform.