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The North West Provincial Government is to spend R84.25 million on Emergency Medical Rescue Service (EMRS) satellite stations and a new planned patient transport model, Premier Thandi Modise declared on Friday.

Premier Modise said that the new model to provide basic transport for patients from clinics to community health centres and hospitals would free up ambulances to concentrate on only responding to emergency calls.

Modise said that the model was adopted after a realisation that majority of cases done by EMRS are not emergency cases but patients requiring transport.

“Seventy percent of patients that do not have an emergency condition are utilising the services of ambulances to reach hospitals as they have no access to a coordinated public transport system resulting in a burden upon the already overstretched EMRS System,” she highlighted.

According to the proposal that was presented by MEC for Health, Dr. Magome Masike and approved by Executive Council, the earmarked funding is to be used to purchase 30 new vehicles, employ 120 drivers and 200 emergency care officers to be stationed at satellite sub district stations to support the planned patient transport system on a 24 hours basis.

Twenty-five additional ambulances are to be purchased at a cost of R18.25 million to support EMRS satellite stations to be established in the districts.