Air ambulance service needs more runway

MEC targets November 1 lift-off for stalled initiative after interdict lifted

Almost a year after a tender for an air ambulance service was awarded, the Eastern Cape is still without the potentially life-saving service.

However, health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth has promised it will be up and running by November 1.

DA provincial health spokesperson Jane Cowley said the long wait for the essential service was unacceptable.

It has been established that the new service provider has twice been allowed to push back its August 1 deployment date.

This, after the high court in Makhanda lifted a court interdict obtained by an unsuccessful bidder, NAC.

NAC had asked the court to interdict the appointment last year of Leli Investments-Black Eagle Consortium, pending a high court review of the R110m tender.

In its court application, NAC, a subsidiary of former long-term service provider National Airways Corporation, raised concerns about Black Eagle-Leli Investments’ compliance with the tender specifications for helicopters and equipment to perform the service.

In July, judge Philip Zilwa lifted the interdict, finding that it was unacceptable that the province be without an air ambulance service and that the department had invested substantially in preparing for the three-year contract.

Zilwa found that Black Eagle-Leli investments would suffer continued financial losses if the interdict remained in place.

Last week, Cowley said it was unacceptable that the air service would only be operational in November.

Meth had said the service provider needed the additional time to prepare for operations.

Responding to questions in the provincial legislature by Cowley, Meth said in the interim, ground emergency services would respond to emergency calls.

“At what human cost? We are all acutely aware of the ambulance shortages on the ground, so implying that ground emergency services would deal with these critical emergency calls until the air emergency service is up and running is disingenuous,” Cowley said.

She said it made no sense that the service provider needed more time to prepare for operations, in light of its court application to have the interdict overturned.

The application outlined the prejudice and harm the consortium would suffer if it could not operate.

The company said it had purchased specialised equipment, refurbished other equipment and had contracted and trained the crew.

“One would assume therefore that they were ready to commence with their services immediately,” Cowley said.

In an email sent to The Herald yesterday, Black Eagle Aviation Services CC confirmed that it no longer had an interest in the tender awarded by the department to the Leli consortium.

“On the request of Leli Investments (Pty) Ltd, Black Eagle ceded its interest, rights and responsibilities to the contract to its consortium partner Leli Investments.

“This was communicated to the [department of health].

“At the time of ceding the contract to Leli Investments, the legal matter was still pending and there were no discussions being held between the [the department] and Black Eagle.

“Black Eagle is no longer party to the consortium contracted to the [the department] and therefore cannot assist you with your query,” the email read.

Cowley had submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to establish the identity of the owners, directors and shareholders of the Black Eagle Company and Leli Investments Consortium.

“In a capable state, this fumbling of tender processes and protectionism would never be tolerated.

“Until the tender processes of the department of health are transparent and scrutinised for any form of deviation that has occurred to protect certain bidders, our citizens will suffer the consequences of mismanagement and maladministration, which they pay for with their lives,” Cowley said.

Meth said in her response in the legislature that the department had complied with the interdict and no-one could be held liable for the delay due to its compliance.

“It should be noted that National Airways Corporation should not have interdicted this valuable service to the community,” Meth said.