Botswana Guardian
Dikarabo Ramadubu - BG reporter
Tuesday, 16 February 2021
The Ministry of Health and Wellness has spent over P71 million in outsourcing the services of air ambulance from private companies in the past five years. But this amount notwithstanding, government currently has no plans whatsoever to acquire air ambulance, but is instead strengthening ground ambulance capabilities.
Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Sethomo Lelatisitswe told Parliament this week that a total P71, 356, 550.00 was used in the past five years for air patients transport services. Lelatisitswe said that his ministry does not have plans to acquire air support services (helicopter) to assist EMS operations. Given financial and other operational resource-constraints, Lelatisitswe said his ministry relies on outsourcing air support services to the private emergency medical service providers as and when the need arises.