Ambulance shortage, staff exodus hit Bulawayo

Recent council minutes have disclosed that the Bulawayo City Council's fire and ambulance services department is severely hampered by a critical shortage of staff and service vehicles.

The rescue service department faces a multitude of challenges, with the primary issues being a brain drain and a lack of service vehicles and modern equipment to respond effectively to emergencies. In a concerning development, it was revealed in September that the Bulawayo Fire Brigade had lost 38 qualified firefighters and officers since January 2023, leaving only four operational water tenders.

Despite its dire situation, the fire rescue department is expected to provide assistance during emergencies in various locations, including Kwekwe, Hwange, Beitbridge, Gwanda, Plumtree, Masvingo, and Zvishavane, as mentioned by the chamber secretary, Sikhangele Zhou.

The latest council minutes highlighted the challenges facing the fire and ambulance services, including the shortage of service vehicles and staff resignations, particularly in the fire brigade section. The scarcity of water due to water shedding was also noted, which significantly impairs firefighting operations that rely on the hydrant system.

The council disclosed that it had not purchased any fire tenders in the past four decades. All fire ambulances in the city have been donated by a UK organization known as Operation Florian. Additionally, uniforms, helmets, breathing apparatus, and other equipment were provided by the same organization.

Furthermore, the council's practice of paying salaries in local currency has resulted in a loss of trained personnel, who have sought employment in smaller towns that offer compensation in United States dollars.

The council recently announced its intention to secure more than £45,000 to import three fire tenders from the United Kingdom, all donated by the Operation Florian mission, which has been a consistent contributor of fire tenders to the council over the years. It's worth noting that the city council turned down a proposal by the then Local Government minister, July Moyo, to allocate devolution funds for acquiring fire tenders from Belarus.

According to the minutes, the council is also grappling with a shortage of ambulances, with the ideal number being 30, while only six are operational each day. Despite an annual allocation in the capital budget for ambulances, procurement has not been carried out.

The council faced a significant financial loss in 2010 when a briefcase company from Harare, in an ambulance procurement deal, disappeared without delivering the six ambulances for which the council had paid over $300,000.