Ambulance crisis forces desperate Wentworth residents to use e-hailing services in emergencies
Residents in Wentworth and surrounding areas in Durban, face long wait times as non-operational ambulances and emergency vehicles sit idle in a field.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Media
WHILE several non-operational ambulances are parked off in a field near a cemetery in Wentworth, Durban, residents must suffer longer response times and some resort to using e-hailing services or good Samaritans for urgent assistance.
The situation becomes critical for those in desperate need of medical attention and without resources or someone to provide a helping hand.
This is according to community activist and member of the Wentworth Hospital Committee, Andrè de Bruin, who has closely monitored the state of local emergency services.
De Bruin said all the ambulances parked on the field, and those out of use have been there for “ages”, some were not recognisable because of the dust that the vehicles collected.
“No vehicle, especially an emergency vehicle, should be there that long. I would say the most an emergency vehicle should be off the road is a week. If you count the number of vehicles there, you'll be horrified,” he said.
De Bruin explained that a resident from any community, even Westville, would be lucky to get a provincial ambulance within an hour. He said provincial hospitals and the ambulance services had deteriorated to a great extent. 'It's like a normal person with no medical aid is left to die.”
De Bruin noticed this unfortunate trend happening daily.
“People would rather phone an Uber or the neighbour to rush to Wentworth Hospital. They'd rather fork out R30 to R50 for an Uber because they know that the ambulance is not going to arrive anytime soon,” he said, added that calls to the hospital went unanswered.
De Bruin said in recent months, he had organised two marches to the hospital, there was an oversight visit by the provincial legislature, the medical ombud visited as well, and they had a new hospital board installed for about four months, but nothing has changed.
“I'm part of the Wentworth Hospital Committee (WHC) and one of the leaders who organised the marches, and nothing has changed. Instead, things have deteriorated,” he said.
Residents in Wentworth and surrounding areas in Durban, face long wait times as non-operational ambulances and emergency vehicles sit idle in a field.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Media
The greater Wentworth, Bluff, Clairwood, and Merebank communities are left to die, he said.
“I think that the KZN Department of Health should privatise or outsource the ambulance service. If they did this on Monday, by Friday, you would find not one ambulance in that yard broken down. The turnaround time would be a maximum of half an hour's driving time from the base to your home. That's what the MEC should do.”
De Bruin cautioned that a significant improvement in ambulance services would be ineffective if hospital conditions remained poor. He called for simultaneous improvements.
In a response to a Parliamentary question last month, Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi revealed that as of April 25, 2025, the current ambulance fleet in KwaZulu-Natal was 480, including 240 that were not in operation.
Residents in Wentworth and surrounding areas in Durban, face long wait times as non-operational ambulances and emergency vehicles sit idle in a field.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Media
Patients from the surrounding communities of the Bluff, Merebank, and Wentworth have complained about poor service at the hospital for years.
According to reports, due to budget limitations, the KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Medical Services (EMS) reported to the KZN Legislature Health Portfolio Committee in February that they lacked sufficient emergency vehicles to adequately meet the existing demand.
A report stated that fleet management interventions led to faster vehicle maintenance in the Amajuba, eThekwini, ILembe, and Ugu districts, subsequently improving response times.
Despite successes in some areas, other districts faced difficulties due to an existing fleet management contract, leading to delays and prolonged unavailability of emergency vehicles. The Department of Health (DOH) reported that the vehicle management service provider was instructed to expand its network of service providers and enhance oversight of fleet operations.
The EMS had provision to procure a total of 42 new ambulances, eight new priority patient transport service (PPTS) vehicles, and two rapid response vehicles, which have been ordered, stated the department.
Portfolio Committee chairperson Dr Imran Keeka said that on oversight visits, they found that service providers were taking too long to repair EMS vehicles.
The KZN Department of Health has been approached for comment.
karen.singh@inl.co.za
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