City in ambulance service crisis

capacity to effectively discharge its health and emergency services mandate.
It seems efforts to rehabilitate broken down ambulances remain a pipe dream judging from the wording in the city’s education, health, housing and community and licensing committee meeting minutes.

The minutes were recently adopted by the full council.
“The purchase of replacement engines for four ambulances, which was authorised by council was now at an advanced stage with all paperwork having been completed and now awaiting the release of funds by the city treasurer,” reads the minutes.

The city has known the predicament for years, but has been very slow to address the issue. The city last bought ambulances in 1990 and the fleet is now 21-years-old.
Innscor Pvt Ltd has offered to fund the repair of four ambulances as part of the group’s social responsibility programme.

“This would result in a total of 13 ambulances being put on the road by year end,” read the minutes.
The committee was updated on discussions between city treasurer, Mr Misheck Mubvumbi and some financial institutions on the procurement of additional ambulances. Harare residents now have to rely on private ambulance providers.

Those without medical aid have to fork out huge amounts of money. Traditionally, city ambulances would ferry the sick to the hospital and credit the bill to the rates bill in the event one had no cash to pay upfront.