The Free State Health Department has come under fire from chronic and psychiatric patients who have complained to Sunday World about the inhumane way they are being transported to specialised government healthcare facilities in Bloemfontein.
Patients from Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Regional Hospital in Qwaqwa, who must travel at least 320km to Bloemfontein for their medical treatments and check-ups, claim they are crammed into ambulances when transported to the likes of Universitas, Pelonomi, Free State Psychiatric Complex and National.
They said they are being overloaded into ambulances instead of the 22-seater patient buses that were previously used to ferry them. According to sources, this has been happening since last September.
Sunday World has heard from drivers, paramedics, patients and relatives of the patients who expressed concern that their human rights were being violated.
“We used to have seven patient buses here at Manapo, and we were working effectively to transport the patients to Bloemfontein for medical care and back to Qwaqwa. Everything was working out smoothly until the provincial health department decided to auction those buses.
“This is where things started going horribly wrong, and we were forced to ferry patients to Bloemfontein via ambulances,” said a paramedic.
Elderly patients are reportedly loaded into cramped ambulances that only have space for two beds and are sometimes forced to sit on the floor.
One health worker said the patient transport vehicles were auctioned in May last year and were never replaced with a new fleet.
“We were told that we should do this, or if we protest and show resistance, we would be threatened. We are concerned about this, as it has been going on for such a long time. If an old lady who is transported to Universitas for a leg operation had to be squashed in the ambulance, what further damage is being done to that leg?” asked one emergency services worker.
Another healthcare worker reported that there have been instances where they crammed more than 10 patients into one ambulance.
“On a daily basis, we transport 50 patients from Qwaqwa to Bloemfontein and back, so basically, we use four ambulances daily for transportation. Some patients have arthritis, while others have chronic illnesses, and they’re being told to get squashed in these ambulances.”
Free State health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi confirmed that old vehicles, which were no longer safe and suitable to transport patients, were auctioned. He said while the department is working on the replacement of the auctioned fleet, it is still needed to prioritise the health needs, well-being and safety of the patients and strive to provide services that respect their rights and dignity.
According to Mvambi, the provincial health department has ordered 112 emergency vehicles that include 60 ambulances to replace the old fleet, which will be delivered in April.
“We take the transportation of patients very seriously and are committed to providing dignified and safe transportation services. We will investigate the matter and provide a detailed response once we have gathered more information.”
