DURBAN - THE KwaZulu-Natal Private Ambulance Association (KZNPAA) want their members and staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in the next 14 days.
The association embarked on a protest to the head office of the Department of Health in Pietermaritzburg yesterday morning where they handed over their memorandum of demands.
Andile Nduli, KZNPAA president, said the department had said that they do not recognise it as an organisation, “despite our members being registered emergency service providers with the department”.
The association said they were exposed and vulnerable to the dangers of Covid-19 and other diseases daily.
“When road accidents occur, we are first on the scene to provide medical care and to deliver patients to nurses and doctors at a medical facility.
“Covid-19 patients in road accidents and those collected from homes are first cared for and transported by emergency services workers,” they said. They added that despite their members being front-line workers, none had been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Among the association’s other demands were that all inspection and renewal fees be scrapped and a new cost regime be established.
The department should provide subsidies to registered and compliant operators for the purchasing of ambulances and equipment operators needed for competitiveness, they said.
“The department commits to the convening of the Private Ambulances Indaba before the end of this year which shall deal with issues of transforming the sector, equity and fairness in the provision of Emergency Medical Services.”
Spokesperson for the KZN Department of Health Ntokozo Maphisa said: “The department has received and accepted the letter of grievances from paramedics from the private sector.
“The department has no reason to exclude any sector from the vaccination process. The department has always urged all essential workers, including paramedics, to register so that they may be vaccinated.”
THE MERCURY