Pretoria - One of the most glaring challenges at Limpopo’s hospitals, in addition to provision of quality health care, is the shortage of ambulances.
Last year, during the height of Covid-19, the provincial health department had 280 ambulances to service all five districts.
But only 20% of that number were reliable, as the other 80% had clocked more than 200 000km, making it difficult to ferry the sick.
Limpopo has a population of more than 6 million people, mostly poor, living in villages and relying on the public health system. Most villages are not accessible because they are in mountainous areas or have mostly gravel roads.
Some areas are as far as 70km from the nearest hospital or clinic.
On top of that, the Limpopo Health Department contracted two private companies to supplement the government fleet to transfer patients.
Several years ago, David Mashaba, 47, from Ha-Mashau, living about 45km from a hospital in Louis Trichardt, succumbed to his illness after waiting for an ambulance for three hours.
At Philadelphia Hospital in Dennilton near Groblersdal in Sekhukhune, more than 60 villages have for years had to rely on three ambulances to service the area, with them breaking down periodically.
In Musina in the Vhembe district that borders Zimbabwe, residents opt to walk to the Musina Hospital because of a lack of ambulances due to the influx of foreign nationals in the area. Bethuel Thingi, 28, has to walk his grandfather, 89, to the hospital 20km away almost weekly. A source said it was almost impossible two private companies could cover all five districts.
Limpopo Health Department spokesperson Neil Shikwambana conceded the department had contracted two private companies for transfers. “We have minimal complaints. Ambulance shortages are usually because of instability in our fleets. Also, the population is growing exponentially and emergencies increasing drastically. But the department continues to increase its fleet annually, subject to budget availability. It has licensed over 26 private ambulance services to date.”
Pretoria News