The accident in question happened on the morning of Monday, 13 March 2023 between a taxi and a mining truck. It is understood that the accident claimed at least nine lives; four on the scene, while five succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

The DA’s Gerhard Engelbrecht alleges that ambulances had to be sent from Colesberg and Richmond to transport the injured to De Aar hospital. He added that after the political party investigated the ambulance issues in the province, it has come to light that three ambulances allocated to Hanover are not operational because of outstanding license renewals.

“Week after week, new horror stories relating to the lack of EMS transport in the Northern Cape are being exposed. It is time that the health department prioritises the monumental collapse of ambulance services in the province,” concluded Engelbrecht.

The provincial department of health has been sent an enquiry for a comment.

ALSO READ: Nine die in Northern Cape accident

In the most recent incident, a cancer patient in the province has received his treatment at the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley for the first time in months. Quinton Riddle, from De Aar, was able to attend his appointment as scheduled after he had struggled to do so due to a lack of patient transportation from De Aar hospital to Kimberley. 

Riddle said when he arrived at the hospital in De Aar on Monday morning, he found patient transportation to take him to Kimberley after he had been told many times that transport has broken down.

Riddle could not attend his latest appointment scheduled for 8 March 2023 due to the nationwide protest by the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu).

However, on the day in question, he was also told that there isn’t any transport available.

ALSO READ: Struggling Northern Cape cancer patient finally treated

SABC News previously reported residents who rely on public health facilities lament the poor response of ambulances to emergencies and called on the Department of Health to improve their service. Frustrated residents say the emergency response time is poor. There are only three ambulances available for Kimberley's population of over 400 000. Despite the department announcing a major overhaul of its services last year, the prolonged challenges facing the department remain. 

In March of 2022, the department’s MEC, Maruping Lekwene, said they had invested in 92 new vehicles worth over R50 million since 2019. But residents say they are yet to benefit from the overhaul.

OFM News