Dying diggers of Namaqualand need saving
| by Dr Isak Fritz, MPL – DA Northern Cape Spokesperson of Health |
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| Date: 05 March 2020 |
| Release: Immediate |
| The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is deeply concerned about the safety of health personnel and patients who travel in state-owned emergency vehicles, following a recent accident involving a defective ambulance.Two ambulance drivers, who had been sent from Williston to Fraserburg, were both seriously injured after the steering collapsed, causing them to lose control of the vehicle and veer off the gravel road on which they were travelling, into the veld. See pics here , here and here.The one ambulance driver is currently at home recovering. The other is being cared for in the Abraham Esau Hospital in Calvinia. He may face lifelong paralysis and is due to be transferred to a rehabilitation centre in the Western Cape. Despite the seriousness of his injuries, he is heartbroken that he has not yet been visited by any officials of the department, despite this clearly being an injury on duty.A number of faults on the ambulance, including the issue with the power steering, were reported. The ambulance was further sent to a local garage in Calvinia but came back with the same problems. While the Health Department was apparently well aware of problems with the power steering of the fairly old ambulance in question, they instructed the two ambulance drivers to continue making use of the vehicle regardless.In effect, the two ambulance drivers could have lost their lives. Even worse, had they been carrying patients, they too could have lost their lives.The DA is calling on Health MEC, Mase Manopole, to urgently investigate the state of the remaining ambulances servicing the Williston area, which have been taken to the same garage. We also urge her to conduct an audit of the entire ambulance fleet to ensure that only roadworthy ambulances are servicing communities on Northern Cape roads.At the same time, we appeal to the MEC to lend support to the two traumatized drivers and arrange counselling for them.Men and women like these put their lives at risk on a daily basis to service sick and injured patients. Their health, safety and wellbeing should also be treated as a priority because without them, thousands of residents living in remote areas in our province would be left stranded and without access to lifesaving health care services. |
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