Gauteng health department explains why ambulances are parked at EMS bases

Seeing several ambulances parked at an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) base does not necessarily mean they are sitting unused, according to the Gauteng Department of Health.

The department issued the clarification on Monday after addressing questions about ambulances seen at EMS facilities across the province.

Spokesperson Steve Mabona said vehicles were deployed according to operational requirements, with their use depending on the type of service needed.

“The deployment and utilisation of ambulances depend on their specific purpose and operational requirements,” Mabona said.

Why some ambulances remain parked

The department explained that its ambulance fleet operates on a rotation system to maintain services while vehicles undergo maintenance.

Some vehicles are assigned to clinics, while others respond to emergencies or support patients at different healthcare facilities.

As a result, the number of ambulances parked at a particular base at any given time does not necessarily reflect how many vehicles are being used or whether the service has sufficient capacity.

Mabona said the purpose of each vehicle must be considered when assessing how the fleet is deployed.

Different ambulances serve different needs

Gauteng EMS operates several categories of vehicles, each designed for a specific role.

These include:

• Emergency ambulances: Used to respond to medical emergencies.
• ICU and high-care ambulances: Designed to support patients requiring more specialised care during transport.
• Gauteng Scheduled Emergency Transport (GSET) vehicles: Used for scheduled patient transport.

To illustrate the different requirements, Mabona referred to an EMS base with a fleet of 33 vehicles.

The fleet comprised 22 emergency ambulances, five ICU and high-care ambulances, and six GSET vehicles.

The department said these distinctions were important when evaluating how ambulances were allocated and used.

Gauteng recruiting for 541 EMS posts

Alongside its fleet management efforts, the department is recruiting candidates for 541 advertised posts intended to strengthen emergency medical services.

Applications for the positions closed in September 2026.

Mabona said filling the vacancies would help improve operational capacity and support the delivery of emergency medical care across Gauteng.

“The filling of these posts will support operational capacity and contribute to the effective delivery of emergency medical services,” he said.

The department added that it remained committed to managing its ambulance fleet responsibly and improving its ability to respond when communities need emergency medical assistance.

While the explanation outlines why ambulances may be parked at EMS bases, the department’s recruitment drive is also aimed at strengthening the capacity of services across the province.

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Source: The citizen