Poor roads and costs delay ambulance care in Matabeleland North

Crumbling road infrastructure and emergency transport costs are making ambulance journeys difficult for some residents of Matabeleland North, with rural health workers warning that delays can have severe consequences for patients in critical condition. In remote communities such as Tinde in Binga, village health worker Margaret Bernard says families often face long waits for emergency transport. “It can take up to seven hours for an ambulance to come from Binga District Hospital to Tinde,” she said.

“When there is an emergency, it becomes very difficult because some people die before the ambulance arrives or on the way to hospital.” She added that while air ambulance services are sometimes available for emergencies, they are not always accessible to local clinics, meaning patients must first reach the district hospital, a cost many families struggle to afford. Bernard said the US$45 fee required to hire an ambulance to Binga District Hospital is beyond the reach of many households. Local leaders say poor road conditions are also contributing to delays and risks during patient transfers.

Nkayi ward 18 councillor Thubelihle Mabuza Ncube said long travel times and damaged roads were affecting emergency response. “Ambulances are meant to speed when transferring emergency patients, but it is not the case,” she said. “It can take up to seven hours to reach Bulawayo because of potholes, dust and narrow roads.

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Some patients have died while being ferried or while families are still trying to raise money for fuel.” The issue was also raised in the Senate on 9 April, where Senator Ritta Ndlovu called for urgent attention to the Bulawayo–Tsholotsho and Dete–Binga roads. “Last week I used these roads and it is as if you are in a dream travelling along those roads,” she said. “It is now taking seven to ten hours to get to our destination.” Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona acknowledged the poor state of the country’s road network, saying rehabilitation work was being planned.

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