The Bulawayo City Council’s emergency medical services are coming under intense pressure after responding to a staggering 1 702 emergency calls in May alone, reflecting a sharp rise in distress cases and mounting strain on the city’s rescue system.
The latest City of Bulawayo fire and ambulance services monthly report for May 2026 shows total ambulance call-outs rose by 7% compared to the same period last year.
“The Ambulance Services responded to 1 702 calls as compared to 1 589 calls done in May 2025,” the report stated.
The figures revealed a city increasingly dependent on emergency medical response for road accidents, maternity complications, trauma cases, and general illness.
Road traffic accidents remained among the biggest emergencies, with ambulance crews attending 76 accidents during the month.
The report read: “The ambulance service attended to 76 road traffic accidents in the month under review... One hundred and ten casualties... were transferred to various medical centres. Four deaths were recorded in the month of May 2026.”
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One of the most notable crashes occurred along Khami Road near Monarch, where a commuter omnibus carrying 17 passengers slammed into a haulage truck.
Emergency crews deployed three city ambulances, two private ambulances, and a fire tender to the scene.
A female passenger died, while several others sustained serious injuries including fractures, head injuries, and soft tissue wounds.
Another fatal accident on Nketa Drive near Tshabalala Garage left one man dead at the scene and six others injured after a collision between a commuter omnibus and a Honda Fit.
Beyond road crashes, ambulance crews also dealt with unusual mass-casualty emergencies. In one dramatic incident at Barham Green Primary School, a swarm of bees attacked pupils during school hours.
The report says 51 schoolchildren and one adult woman were stung.
“Following treatment and stabilisation at the scene, all affected patients were transported to United Bulawayo Hospitals for further medical evaluation and observation,” the report added.
The ambulance service also handled a growing burden of health-related emergencies.
According to the report, the top five general medical cases were soft tissue injuries (133), heart attack/CVA and hypertension (89), head injuries (83), diarrhoea and vomiting (78), and tuberculosis (49).
Maternity emergencies also remained high, with 498 maternity-related calls recorded in May.
The leading maternity complications were pregnancy-induced hypertension (57 cases), post-date pregnancies (55), delayed labour (43), preterm labour (42), and meconium-stained liquor (30).
Despite the growing demand, the city’s emergency services remain under-resourced.
The fire and ambulance department has an authorised staff establishment of 320 workers, but only 241 positions are filled, leaving a shortfall of 79 personnel.
Equipment shortages are also a concern, with several emergency appliances out of service awaiting repairs and spare parts.
The report identified procurement delays as a major obstacle affecting operational efficiency. With emergency calls continuing to rise and critical resources stretched, Bulawayo’s ambulance services are increasingly being pushed to their limits, raising concerns over the city’s capacity to respond swiftly to future disasters.