Groblersdal ambulance dispatch system leaves community at risk
GROBLERSDAL – Herbert Radingwana, a Councillor in Elias Motsoaledi Municipality (EMLM) representing the Bolsheviks Party of South Africa (BPSA), has raised a concern about the ambulance dispatch system in the region, describing it as a “life-threatening matter”.
In a letter addressed to the MEC for Health in Limpopo Province, Radingwana highlights the urgent need for reform, citing instances where emergency services were delayed due to a centralized system that requires calls to go through the Jane Furse call centre.
The councillor’s allegations are supported by a recent incident, where an emergency ambulance was needed urgently in Groblersdal, but dispatch was refused because the call did not originate from Jane Furse. The call centre subsequently failed to respond in time, leaving the community in a state of distress.
According to Radingwana, ambulances stationed at Groblersdal Hospital are unable to respond directly to local emergencies, resulting in precious minutes being lost and putting human lives at risk.
Radingwana has criticized the system for being “not user-friendly”, “not responsive”, and “not suitable for emergencies”.
“The communities of Groblersdal, Moutse, and Tafelkop are bearing the brunt of this broken system. The MEC for Health’s attendance at events in Philadelphia Hospital is a stark reminder of the government’s priorities. Communities cannot breathe through press briefings and photo opportunities. We need action, not rhetoric,” he said.
Radingwana demands immediate action to address the issue. The situation is dire, I have personally had to intervene in medical emergencies, only to be told that ambulances cannot be dispatched directly. It is a broken, unfriendly system that is costing lives,” Cllr Radingwana stated.
The councillor said it makes no sense that ambulances stationed locally cannot respond immediately to emergencies. “Every minute lost is a risk to human life,” he said.
Radingwana’s letter comes amid concerns about the province’s emergency medical services, with reports indicating a shortage of ambulances and paramedics.
The councillor is calling for an immediate review and decentralization of the ambulance dispatch system, authority for Groblersdal-based ambulances to respond directly to emergencies, and accountability for the non-responsive Jane Furse call centre.
“History will judge those who were warned and chose to ignore the suffering of the people,” warned Radingwana.
LDoH Spokesperson, Neil Shikwambana, said the reason for the new centralised dispatch system is to improve efficiency of service, which is was the department is focusing on.
“This is a new system and it will obviously have teething problems which we are focusing on addressing instead of throwing out the baby with water. We will look into this issue on a case by case basis,” he said.
