Scooters not meant to be ambulances, says Mkhize
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says the scooters procured by the Eastern Cape Department of Health were never meant to serve as ambulances.
He says the controversial scooters, of which 100 were purchased at a cost of some R10 million, were only meant to assist patients who live in deep rural areas get access to ambulances.
Mkhize made the comments on Friday during a visit to the Tshwane District Hospital.
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“It has nothing to do with whether in fact these were designed as ambulances. There is no standard that has allowed any motorcycle to be classified as ambulances. The ambulances are known and their standards are well understood.
“There are areas where ambulances cannot reach, there are homesteads where people cannot be picked up by a car.
“People live in all different rugged territories that’s all they were addressing.”