MPS CALL FOR AMBULANCE CONTINGENCY FUND

MANZINI – Some Members of Parliament (MPs) have proposed that government should consider setting up a fund at constituency level that would be used by the legislators to transport constituents to hospital.

The legislators claimed to be feeling the pinch due to the shortage of ambulances in the country. The interviewed legislators purported that the shortage of ambulances in the country was a drain to their financial resources as the destitute public looked up to them to ferry their family members when in need of the emergency vehicles.

Transportation

The MPs who were engaged by this publication claimed that on a daily basis, there was a request for transportation, either to the nearest clinic and or hospital. With this need, they claimed that the challenge was that most communities were afar from health facilities, thus proving to be a costly exercise for them. Mostly, the legislators claimed, was the need for transportation by the electorate who could not even afford to contribute to the fuel for their transportation. This, they said, had created a challenge for them as regardless of their financial standing at their particular instance, they were coerced to transport those in need.

The legislators proposed that government should also look into establishing a fund that would be administered by constituencies. This fund, they proposed, could assist in the legislators claiming where need be, for fuel of transporting the public. Lomahasha Constituency MP Ndumiso Masimula said yesterday he had to send money to someone who was seeking assistance as she was in labour. Masimula said due to that he could not offer the service as he was afar, he had to offer money so that the constituent could hire a vehicle to ferry her to hospital. “In my constituency, it’s even worse as there are reported cases of malaria which cause those suffering from it to exhibit symptoms similar to COVID-19 and, therefore, they need transportation to medical facilities,” Masimula said.

He said such constant need for transport to medical facilities was a challenge as there were no ambulances and government should look into affording them a fund that would cushion their expenditure. Also relaying the same frustration was Siphofaneni Constituency MP Mduduzi Simelane. He said to attend to the constant need for ambulances, which were not available, he had bought two vehicles. However, he said the constant challenge he faced was that the public benefitting from using them (vehicles)their use did not afford to refuel them as some were destitute. Simelane said those who afforded to contribute towards fuel did so; however, a challenge was when there was no nearby vehicle to refuel.

“There are no ambulances in my area (Siphofaneni) and we need assistance from government,” Simelane said. He said the delay in the procurement of ambulances was equivalent as dicing with peoples’ lives as it was an essential service that needed to be availed to the citizenry. Simelane said each passing day without ambulances was a threat to the lives of the citizenry and government needed to sort the challenges. Meanwhile, Nkwene Constituency MP Philemon Nhleko said government also needed to consider introducing mobile clinics. He said this would minimise the need by the public to seek transportation to nearby clinics as some ailments could be detected earlier and giving people enough time to travel to hospital. In his constituency, he said, a minor died following a snakebite as there was no transport to ferry the child to hospital. Nhleko said such was disheartening as it watered down the great strides taken by government towards offering services to the populace.

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