PORT ALFRED, Eastern Cape — An escalating Eastern Cape ambulance crisis has left vulnerable medical patients in the Ndlambe Municipality stranded, sparking outrage over the severe lack of available emergency medical vehicles. Residents report that when they contact emergency services, they are routinely informed that the local fleet is out of order, forcing impoverished families to seek unaffordable private transport just to reach life-saving care.
The Ndlambe Municipality is primarily served by only one local hospital, meaning patients requiring specialized medical attention must travel more than 100 kilometers to reach larger medical facilities. Due to the current transport breakdown, many are missing crucial appointments, putting their long-term health and immediate lives at risk.
Speaking on the harrowing daily reality, one community spokesperson and affected parent detailed a recent ordeal that highlights the human cost of the shortage. After waking up at 4:00 a.m. to prepare for a scheduled hospital transfer, the parent waited in the freezing cold for an ambulance that never arrived. With zero communication from emergency dispatchers regarding the cancellation, the family was forced to travel to a hospital in Port Alfred on their own. There, they were informed that no transport buses were heading to Gqeberha (PE).
The missed journey had immediate and dangerous consequences for the family. The spokesperson noted that they have a diabetic child who relies on insulin to survive, and the inability to reach the hospital directly threatens the child’s access to the life-sustaining medication.
Community advocates emphasize that the region—stretching from Alexandria to surrounding rural districts—is currently forced to rely on possibly just a single functional ambulance. “This situation is serious, and we are appealing to the government for the sake of our people,” a community spokesperson pleaded, noting that locals live in poverty, lack medical aid, and simply cannot afford private specialized ambulance services.
Addressing the public outcry, a spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Department of Health explained that the limited availability of emergency vehicles is largely due to unexpected delays in vehicle repairs tied to a newly implemented fleet management contract.
The departmental spokesperson confirmed that leadership is fully aware of the ambulance availability constraints across the Ndlambe Municipality and that urgent interventions are underway. The department is actively working to resolve the repair backlogs while ensuring that the few functional ambulances currently on the road are deployed as optimally as possible.
To mitigate the immediate risks, the health department’s spokesperson noted that neighboring Emergency Medical Services (EMS) resources and private ambulance operators are being drafted in to handle critical emergencies. Furthermore, planned patient transport routes to Gqeberha are being systematically rescheduled wherever disruptions occur, ensuring that patients can eventually attend their missed specialist appointments.
Looking toward a permanent resolution, the Eastern Cape Department of Health announced a major procurement initiative to strengthen emergency medical services across the entire province. The department has officially procured 51 new ambulances. According to the departmental spokesperson, the first 28 vehicles from this new fleet are expected to be delivered and deployed within the next few weeks, offering a glimmer of hope to a community that has been left waiting in the cold.