Peter Matika [email protected]
BULAWAYO councillors have called for urgent investment in the city’s ambulance fleet, warning that ageing vehicles and gaps in emergency response procedures are delaying assistance to residents.
During a full council meeting, councillors proposed consulting residents on the introduction of a dedicated ambulance levy to finance the purchase of additional emergency vehicles. However, the suggestion was met with mixed reactions with some councillors questioning whether ratepayers could afford another charge.
Those supporting the proposal said revenue from the levy could be ring-fenced for ambulance procurement, with residents accessing the service without additional charges when they needed emergency assistance.
However, some councillors said residents were already struggling under prevailing economic conditions and questioned whether an additional levy was the best way to address the city’s emergency service challenges.
Councillors said some ambulances had exceeded their expected service life, affecting the city’s capacity to respond promptly to emergency calls.
They raised concerns about the ability of the ambulance service to meet the internationally cited six-minute emergency response benchmark, while proposing that council consider replacing worn-out engines and gearboxes in vehicles whose bodies remained in good condition.
Other councillors argued that vehicle condition was not the only factor contributing to delays, pointing to weaknesses in how emergency calls were handled and ambulance crews directed to patients.
“Ambulances are sometimes dispatched to meeting points where distressed residents are expected to wait for them, instead of being directed to the exact properties where emergencies are occurring,” said one councillor.
To improve response times, councillors proposed installing Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment and other technology to help ambulance crews locate patients more accurately.
The meeting also raised concerns over the absence of a fire station in Cowdray Park, one of Bulawayo’s fastest-growing residential suburbs.
Councillors said the distance between the suburb and existing emergency facilities could hamper the response of both ambulance crews and the Fire Brigade, making it difficult to meet emergency response targets.
Ward 6 Councillor Nkosinathi Hove Mpofu also called for the construction of a satellite fire station in Cowdray Park to be included in the city’s 2027 municipal budget.
The proposals place the spotlight on the need for council to balance the cost of acquiring and maintaining emergency vehicles with improvements in dispatch procedures, technology and the distribution of emergency facilities across the city.
