South Africa needs at least 3 400 more ambulances
2 December 2022
Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Haseena Ismail MP
South Africa has a shortage of 3 401 ambulances. Of the 3 342 ambulances we do have, 750 cannot currently be used due to lack of maintenance or accidents.
This dangerous state of affairs was revealed by the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, in answer to a written parliamentary question from the DA.
The DA has had a number of complaints from communities all across the country of emergency medical services (EMS) being slow to respond to calls or never arriving – some families have lost loved ones that could very well have been saved had an ambulance arrived in time. The slew of articles written just this year indicates just how pervasive the problem has become.