BANATHI GUNGQISA
Eastern Cape Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa recently handed over 24 new ambulances to the
provincial emergency medical services (EMS) fleet, marking the third major deployment of new emergency response vehicles across the region since August.
The latest fleet allocation will be distributed across all seven health districts, significantly boosting the department’s capacity to respond to urgent medical calls and improving
access to life-saving care, particularly in rural and geographically dispersed
communities.
Eastern Cape health communications director, Siyanda Manana, on Monday confirmed the
breakdown of the new vehicles across the districts: Alfred Nzo (four), Amathole (three), Buffalo City Metro (three, Chris Hani (three), Joe Gqabi (three), OR Tambo (four), and Sarah Baartman (four).
“Increasing the number of operational ambulances is critical to improving response capacity and ensuring emergency care reaches communities when every minute counts.”
Manana said this latest deployment brings the total number of new ambulances distributed
across the province since August 2026 to 71, following earlier rollouts of 21 ambulances in August and 26 in September.
“The ongoing distribution forms part of the department’s broader fleet renewal programme, which aims to procure and deploy 195 brand-new ambulances between August 2026
and March 2027 to overhaul provincial emergency response operations.
“The capital investment comes as a critical boost for the Eastern Cape, where long travel distances, rough terrain, and widely scattered rural settlements continue to place heavy
demands on emergency health infrastructure,” Manana added.
By expanding operational fleet numbers and replacing aging vehicles, the department aims to reduce response times, improve survival outcomes, and restore community trust in public emergency medical services across Buffalo City and the wider province.
