Government moves to regulate ambulance operators
Picture: Robert Mckenzie/KZN EMS Picture: Robert Mckenzie/KZN EMS
Durban - The Health Department in KwaZulu-Natal has moved to regulate ambulance operators that will see each service provider being given a permit to operate - with that permit only being valid for one year.
Any operator who continues to provide emergency care services without a licence shall be guilty of an offence and may be liable, upon conviction, to a fine of up to R500 000 or a jail term of up to five years, or both.
The announcement was made on Friday by MEC, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo. He said the implementation of the Emergency Medical Services Regulation was in line with the National Health Act, 2003.
The licence application fee is R8 000 per operator and the inspection fee is R2 000 per station; R300 per ambulance; R300 per response vehicle; and R500 per rescue vehicle.
The annual licence renewal fee is R2 000 per operator; R300 per ambulance; R300 per response vehicle; and R500 per response vehicle.
There is also an additional R1 000 inspection fee per station.
Payment details will be provided by the licensing and inspectorate unit which is being established. Anyone may make representations for a waiver of any of the fees herein, in line with subparagraph 2 of regulation 19 of the Emergency Medical Services Regulations, 2017.
A licence application may be withdrawn and the application fee reimbursed if the application is withdrawn before being processed by the advisory committee.
However, the application fee will be forfeited once the application serves before the advisory committee.
Dhlomo said this means operators of emergency care services, already in existence, have until the end of November 2018 to submit applications to the KZN Department of Health so that their business operations can be assessed, in order for those who comply to be granted a licence to render emergency care services in the Province.
“The licence will permit the operator to work only within a specific health district, and will be valid for a year and reviewed annually.
Those whose licence applications are deemed unsuccessful, following the assessment, will be given reasons for this, and asked to rectify their shortcomings and resubmit their applications,” he said.
Dhlomo said this included the department’s own emergency care services, which will be assessed before being granted a license under which to operate.
“The primary aim of these regulations is to improve the quality of patient care and rid the sector of fly-by-night operators, whose conduct has, at times, placed patient’s lives at risk. In the current unregulated environment in the province, there has been nothing to ensure that both public and private emergency care services are manned by registered and adequately trained staff, with proper and adequate equipment.
"These regulations seek to address this and also ensure consistency and standardisation of operations in the sector, so that the service is the same, anywhere, everywhere and at any time – regardless of the operator involved,” Dhlomo said.
The licence application process will be overseen by an independent advisory committee which will make recommendations to the Head of the Department.
This committee is composed of an expert in emergency medicine, a representative of South African Local Government Association (Salga), one representative each from the public and private emergency care services, and a representative of health care users.
Dhlomo said the department is in the process of establishing an independent licensing and inspectorate unit which will administer the licensing and inspection processes, and act as a Secretariat to the advisory committee.
“This unit is part of the KZN Department of Health and will receive and process all applications before presenting them to the advisory committee. The unit is currently based at eThekwini District office, 83 King Cetshwayo Street, Mayville. Stringent measures and proper due diligence will be applied in determining who qualifies to provide these services,” he said.
For enquiries, licence applicants are required to contact the licensing and inspectorate unit at Highway House in Mayville or contact 031 240 5300, ext 5511.