A recent report highlights the challenges faced by the Department of Health regarding its fleet management.
More than 200 ambulances belonging to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health are “parked in different workshops waiting to be repaired. This accounts for almost half of the ambulance stock the department has. This information was revealed in a report to the Health Portfolio Committee, where the department detailed the challenges it faces regarding its fleet.
The department has often come under fire, especially over ambulance response times, with community members complaining that the ambulances do not arrive when they are called for an emergency. Following complaints by members of the portfolio committee in past meetings, the department detailed the extent of these challenges, stating that most of the delays it is experiencing relate to the repair of ambulances and other vehicles.
The department has a contract in place with a service provider tasked with managing the department's fleet. The service provider is appointed by the National Treasury to manage government fleet across the country. If a vehicle breaks down or is damaged, the service provider will begin the process of assessing the damage, getting quotes for the work to be done, and then approving the necessary work.
