The provision of ambulances to take people (originally wounded soldiers) to and from hospital as required, especially in an emergency; a particular system of ambulance provision.
Ambulance Services In South Africa
Gauteng Emergency Medical Services
Address: Unit 4 Continuity SA Growth Point Business Park, Cnr Old Pretoria & Tonetti Street, Midrand, Tembisa, 1682, South Africa
Hours: Open 24 hours
Phone: +27 11 564 2000
Destination Medicine – Emergency Medical Rescue & Event Medical Services
Address: 61 1st Ave, Linden, Randburg, 2195, South Africa
Areas served: Burgersfort and nearby areas
Hours: Open 24 hours
Phone: +27 78 327 3957
St John EMS (Paramedic Ambulance Service. Jhb Base)
Address: 25 Leyds St, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa
Hours: Open 24 hours
Phone: +27 86 178 5646
KWAZULU PRIVATE AMBULANCE
Address: 18 St Patricks Rd, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South Africa
Areas served: Msunduzi and nearby areas
Hours: Open 24 hours
Phone: +27 860 247 911
Training
In South Africa there are currently 3 different levels of proficiency in Short course training:
BAA or Basic Ambulance Assistant – This is a Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, and approximately the equivalent of the US EMT-B. This is the minimum qualification to be a crew member of an ambulance in South Africa.
Training includes a 160-hour course consisting of lectures and practical simulations. The lectures cover basic anatomy and physiology, basic life support (including both CPR and first aid), emergency care, the use of ambulance equipment, including Automated External Defibrillators (AED), and various medico-legal issues.
AEA or Ambulance Emergency Assistant – This is an Intermediate Life Support (ILS) certification, and generally close to the same scope of the US EMT-I in most skills but the South African counterparts have more training, with some added skills.
To apply for this training, candidates must have a minimum of 1,000 hours of practical experience as a BAA and they must pass an entrance exam to be eligible for the course. As an alternative route to certification, those completing the more advanced tertiary qualifications may challenge the examination and be certified as an AEA after successfully completing their first or second year of training.
Training at this level consists of a 470-hour course, consisting of 240 hours of lectures and practical simulations, and 230 hours of experiential learning. AEA’s are qualified to practice various invasive techniques such as IV therapy, needle Cricothyroidotomy and needle Thoracocentesis, as well as Electrocardiogram interpretation, manual external defibrillation, and are allowed to administer various drugs.
CCA or Critical Care Assistant and the “National Diploma” – These Advanced Life Support (ALS) candidates must complete a 1,200-hour course to qualify as a CCA in addition to prior BAA and AEA qualifications. This level usually takes more than 4 years to complete.
The ND is a three-year, full-time study at college. CCA and ND are both registered as a Paramedic with the Health Professions Council South Africa and they can continue to do an additional 1 yr postgraduate study to obtain the Btech degree.
Below are two new university qualifications;
ECT or Emergency Care Technician – This mid-level course is of two years duration, and exits on a level just above what many know as Intermediate Life Support (ILS), but similar to Advanced Life Support (ALS), yet without advanced airway management manoeuvres. Students who pass this course are eligible to apply to the HPCSA to be registered in the category of Emergency Care Technician (ECT).
BTech/BEMC or The bachelor’s degree Technology or bachelor’s degree in Emergency Medical Care – This is a four-year professional degree, and students who complete this degree are eligible to be registered with the HPCSA as Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP), which has an additional scope of practice over the Critical Care Assistant and the National Diploma qualifications.
The two additions in stand-alone capabilities are Thrombolysis and Rapid sequence induction. ECPs are also trained in the rescue disciplines offered by their institutions, normally up to the level of Advanced Rescue Practitioner. Example: High Angle II, Motor Vehicle, Fire Search and Rescue, Aviation, Confined Space, Structural Collapse, Industrial and Agricultural, Trench, Aquatic Rescue, etc. The advantage of the Btech qualification is that it is a university qualification that is consistent with the international industry trend.
Future training
Recently,the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), has begun steps to change the system of education in the Emergency Services and they hope to change the EMS training system by 2010. These steps would involve limiting short course ( BAA ) and only having a 2-year nCert (Intermediate level qualification) and B-Tech (ALS level qualification).
Given the economics of the system and its current reliance on volunteers in some communities and locales, it remains unclear whether it will be either possible or practical to eliminate the BAA certification for anyone other than paid staff in the near future.
The mid-level course is 2 years in duration, and exits on a level slightly above Ambulance Emergency Assistant (AEA), but below Advanced Life Support (ALS). They are placed on the Emergency Care Technician (ECT) register.
The clinician qualification is a four-year professional degree in Emergency Medical Care (Bachelor Emergency Medical Care), and is placed on the Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP) register. The five institutions in the country currently presenting the ECP qualification are the:
University of Johannesburg
Central University of Technology
Durban University of Technology
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
How much does an ambulance cost in South Africa?
What does it cost to call an ambulance in South Africa?
| Advanced Life support | Basic Life Support | |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 60 Minutes | R4,281.29 | R2,535.09 |
| Every 15 Minutes thereafter | R1,070.32 | R634.33 |
| Long Distance | X | X |
| Per km (>100km) with patient | R53.41 | R31.65 |
Is ambulance free in South Africa?
“If an uninsured patient is not experiencing a life-threatening emergency, they have access to the provincial emergency services which will render stabilisation and transportation to a hospital if required, at no cost to the patient.”
How do ambulances work in South Africa?
The National Health Act governs the dispatch of trained and registered paramedics to provide emergency medical help. Each ambulance has two paramedics on board and is stocked with life-saving medical equipment and medications.
How many ambulances are there in South Africa?
The national emergency number for ambulances in South Africa is 10 177. These publicly operated services are supplemented by three private-for-profit ambulance companies, NetCare 911 and ER24, and life response 24/7 of which operate nationally, and by a variety of local private services, such as AmbuStat.
How long does it take for an ambulance to arrive in South Africa?
In the event of a priority 1 (P1) medical emergency the ambulance will arrive within 15 minutes or less, 80% of the time. Non-life threatening priority 2 (P2) calls will need to wait longer due to pending P1 emergencies. The EMS triage system begins when you first contact an emergency call centre.