Gauteng Health should issue ambulance licence to Tshwane urgently

9 March 2021  

I am most concerned by the Gauteng Health Department’s delay in issuing a licence to Tshwane metro council to operate ambulances, which has forced the city to cease ambulance operations.

According to Alderman Karen Meyer, Tshwane MMC for Community Safety and Emergency Services, ambulances have ceased operating in Tshwane due to the failure by provincial government to honour an agreement to extend their emergency services operating license.

The city cannot continue the service because of the legal liability of operating without a valid licence.

This unfortunate situation has arisen because of the provincialisation of ambulances which has not been handled well.

Meanwhile, Tshwane residents will suffer delays because the city’s emergency call centre will be relaying calls to the provincial emergency medical services call centre to be processed.

I have raised this matter with Gauteng Health MEC NomathembaMokgethi, and I hope it is speedily resolved with the issuance of the licence.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 9 March 2021