In South Africa, family waited more than 12 hours for an ambulance
In Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa, a family spent more than 12 hours trying to call an ambulance for a seriously ill 17-year-old boy. According to Daily Maverick, the teenager’s relative, Luzuko Gedze, filed a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission.
The family began calling emergency services at around 11:00 on August 18. They tried to reach the services via 10177, 112 and 10111, as well as an additional number provided by Dora Nginza Hospital. According to Gedze, the calls went unanswered. An ambulance arrived at the house at about 23:15; police officers were also present.
Attempts to get help
Before that, the relatives contacted the local Department of Social Development. There, according to Gedze, a priority case was opened and officials insisted that the teenager receive medical care as soon as possible. The family kept calling until about 15:00, after which they went to KwaZakhele police station.
Gedze said that police officers had also faced difficulties when calling ambulances for other community residents. One constable tried to relay the information through a WhatsApp group, but there was no immediate response. Later, emergency medical service staff told Gedze that their system showed only a call registered after 21:00, with no records of the earlier requests.
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Emergency service problems
Siyanda Manana, a spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Department of Health, acknowledged that emergency medical service telephone lines had experienced intermittent disruptions. Among the possible reasons, he cited temporary line problems, technical malfunctions, theft and damage to communications infrastructure, as well as difficulties with call forwarding by mobile operators.
At the same time, the department said that the Nelson Mandela Bay emergency medical service communications centre had continued operating. The agency advised residents who cannot get through via one channel to contact the centre at (041) 459-0292, (041) 459-0585 or (041) 459-0858, as well as the police at 10111.
The Hospersa healthcare workers’ union says there is an acute shortage of operational and properly equipped ambulances in the region. Its representative, Thembisa Witbooi, said that a city with a population of more than 1 million people needs at least 150 such vehicles. The Human Rights Commission said that the case had been included in a planned systemic investigation into the accessibility of emergency medical care in the Eastern Cape.
