Health

1. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provides pre-hospital care for the population of the Western Cape.   Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, our staff resources have been under severe strain on account of Isolation and quarantine processes. This made the provision of patient transfers (between facilities) incredibly difficult with unfortunately prolonged delays. EMS subsequently entered into a contract with private vendors to assist with patient transfers, at a negotiated rate.   The contract was awarded to 5 vendors which have been confirmed to have the relevant licenses. This contract proved to be extremely successful in alleviating the workload in the Metropole and have been a large part of the Department’s response to absorb patient pressures.

 Since the time that the second wave hit the country it was the Eden district that was impacted most severely hence the vendors were also being utilised in this district. Thus, there was the need to expand this contract to include more vendors and more districts outside of the metropole.    

 Only equipped, licenced and registered (tax compliant) vendors were utilised. However, this initiative has impacted upon the existing operational budget (as is the case for all COVID related services) and has been curtailed as the second wave recedes.

2. Since inception, private EMS contractors have in transporting 21 500 patients at a cost of R28.9 million.