Public ambulance delays threaten lives in Pretoria
Reports highlight that public ambulance services in South Africa, including Pretoria, may experience delays ranging from 30 minutes to over two hours, particularly during peak hours or in areas with resource constraints.
Spokesperson for CrisisOnCall, Ruan Vermaak, underscored the crisis: 'Ambulance shortages and a lack of advanced life support paramedics contribute to slower response times, potentially delaying or even compromising patient outcomes.'
Internal call data from his company underscores this grim reality, revealing frequent delays even in critical cases like strokes and heart attacks.
'Our data clearly shows that people in certain regions simply do not get timely access to help,' said Vermaak. 'Especially in rural areas, the situation is reaching crisis proportions.'
A stark contrast exists between state and private emergency services.
Public ambulances suffer from vehicle shortages and staffing gaps, while well-equipped private and community-based teams are only accessible to those who can prearrange them.
Vermaak observed that this is not just a logistical problem but a systemic one: inadequate resources, staffing shortages, and poor co-ordination place patients' lives at risk.
Recent tragedies highlighted this plight, like the incident when a 26-year-old in Kimberley died in October 2024 after waiting 30 minutes for a public ambulance.
'These are not unique incidents,' Vermaak warned. 'We cannot wait until someone dies before we acknowledge the problem.'
He said public-private partnerships that let services and well-trained volunteers work together to provide ambulance services are an option to overcome the problem, as well as community-led emergency preparations, including private subscriptions, safety apps, and volunteer networks.
Vermaak believes that effective, privately facilitated emergency assistance at a scene is possible when partners mobilise their resources to save lives.
'In our case, a vehicle manned by experienced paramedics with the necessary emergency equipment provides free assistance to communities in need. We fully support such community initiatives,' he said.
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