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Health Minister Zweli Mkhize in the past has been showcasing the medical scooter ambulances bought for the COVID-19 pandemic and just recently has spoken in parliament to say they do not meet the minimum regulations for emergency medical services when transporting patients to hospitals.
In a statement, the minister described the scooters as being “inadequate for the transport of patients” and due to this they cannot be used, there has been a suggestion that they could be used in the future for medical supply deliveries in rural areas.
Mkhize went on further to confirm that the Eastern Cape has not consulted the National Department of Health (NDOH) in regards to the specifications of these vehicles. The province was instructed by the minister that the motorcyles will not be suitable to transport patients.
In retaliation the Eastern Capes MEC put forward a bold statement suggesting that apartheid is to blame for the “scandal”
“The pandemic came unexpectedly and presented itself in a new dynamic. It has also exposed the weaknesses of our health system, and that’s all down to the design of apartheid. Our people must be dragged in wheelbarrows to access health services.”
Sindiswa Gomba, Eastern Cape MEC
Eastern Cape Health MEC Sindiswa Gomba on the R10m scooter project… #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/sz6TyFlwjE
— Bulelani Phillip (@BulelaniPhillip) July 14, 2020
