HOSPERSA SLAMS NORTHERN CAPE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR ONE-MAN AMBULANCE CREWS

Hospersa has critised the Northern Cape (NC) Department of Health (DoH) for operating one-man crew ambulances in close to twenty (20) Emergency Medical Service (EMS) stations across the province. The Union has vowed to intensify its campaign against staff shortages in the province’s EMS stations in order to improve the working conditions of its members.

According to reports, EMS workers in the NC province have been instructed to operate as one-man ambulance crews when attending to medical emergencies. It is alleged that this practice has affected close to twenty (20) EMS stations. On 29 March 2018, the Union wrote to the NC EMS Director listing the affected stations and demanding answers as to why the NC DoH is contravening EMS regulations on the number of EMS personnel that operate ambulances. The Director has been given seven (7) working days to respond to the correspondence.

“We strongly condemn the practice of one-man ambulance crews in the NC province,” said Hospersa General Secretary Noel Desfontaines. “The NC DoH is in contravention of EMS regulations which clearly states that an ambulance must be staffed by a minimum of two emergency care providers. Operating on one-man ambulance crews is putting our members under enormous pressure when attending to medical emergencies which in turn affects the delivery of the service,” added Desfontaines.

“Our members have given us a clear mandate to address staff shortages to improve their working conditions as well as service delivery to communities. We will intensify our campaign against the practice of one-man ambulance crews in the NC province and continue putting pressure on the province’s DoH to adequately address EMS staffing issues,” concluded Desfontaines.