Gunship
8th May 2005, 08:28
F.:mad: it ... I am a patriotaic expat Saffer but when I see this s:mad: t I wanna kotzz :yuk:
A fixed-wing aircraft service and a helicopter service contracted to the Eastern Cape department of health emergency unit is being used to fly Health MEC Bevan Goqwana all over the province instead of being available to transport critically ill patients.
Documents in City Press's possession show that in the past three months, the department spent more than R2.75m using the helicopter. Since January 20 this year, when the multimillion-rand aircraft contract was signed, the air service was used 26 times.
Goqwana was taken around the province 15 times. The other MEC flown around was Christian Martin, who is in charge of social development.
A service-level agreement states that the aircraft will ferry medical equipment used in emergency evacuations and for the transportation of medical staff only.
The fixed-wing aircraft agreement states that the aircraft will be used to transfer patients between hospitals in the province and, in certain cases, to hospitals in other provinces.
Moral support :E
Health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo confirmed that the two helicopter services were to be used for emergency services only, but added: "However, they can be used for other emergencies when a need arises. There is nothing wrong with the MEC using the services."
When City Press pointed out the frequency of the MEC's trips, Kupelo said: "Even the trips you are referring to were emergency cases where the MEC went to give moral support."
He added that the trips to render "moral support" included Goqwana's visit to areas where there had been an outbreak of a disease. :yuk:
The logbook shows that between December 14 2004 and January 13 this year, for example, only Goqwana was ferried in the fixed-wing aircraft between East London, Bisho, Mthatha and back to East London.
He again travelled from East London to Margate in KwaZulu-Natal, then Bisho and back to East London. In between the dates, he also travelled to Cradock and Mthatha on different dates costing the department R171 000. :* :* :*
A fixed-wing aircraft service and a helicopter service contracted to the Eastern Cape department of health emergency unit is being used to fly Health MEC Bevan Goqwana all over the province instead of being available to transport critically ill patients.
Documents in City Press's possession show that in the past three months, the department spent more than R2.75m using the helicopter. Since January 20 this year, when the multimillion-rand aircraft contract was signed, the air service was used 26 times.
Goqwana was taken around the province 15 times. The other MEC flown around was Christian Martin, who is in charge of social development.
A service-level agreement states that the aircraft will ferry medical equipment used in emergency evacuations and for the transportation of medical staff only.
The fixed-wing aircraft agreement states that the aircraft will be used to transfer patients between hospitals in the province and, in certain cases, to hospitals in other provinces.
Moral support :E
Health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo confirmed that the two helicopter services were to be used for emergency services only, but added: "However, they can be used for other emergencies when a need arises. There is nothing wrong with the MEC using the services."
When City Press pointed out the frequency of the MEC's trips, Kupelo said: "Even the trips you are referring to were emergency cases where the MEC went to give moral support."
He added that the trips to render "moral support" included Goqwana's visit to areas where there had been an outbreak of a disease. :yuk:
The logbook shows that between December 14 2004 and January 13 this year, for example, only Goqwana was ferried in the fixed-wing aircraft between East London, Bisho, Mthatha and back to East London.
He again travelled from East London to Margate in KwaZulu-Natal, then Bisho and back to East London. In between the dates, he also travelled to Cradock and Mthatha on different dates costing the department R171 000. :* :* :*