THE PROVISION of aero-medical services in the Northern Cape will come to an abrupt halt at the end of the month following the termination of the partnership between the Department of Health and Air Mercy Services (AMS).

It is uncertain at this stage whether the newly revamped AMS offices, situated at the Kimberley Airport, will continue to operate after June 30, as the Department of  Health are the main client. The office employs about 20 workers including pilots, medical staff and administration personnel.

Concern has been expressed over whether critical patients, the elderly and small babies from far-lying areas of the Province will have access to emergency health care, once these services are no longer available.

AMS spokeswoman Venessa Horn said the news has come as a shock to them. "This critical aero-medical service has been terminated by the Northern Cape Department of Health. The unexpected news was received on June 1 although the reasons for the discontinuation of the contract are unclear. The AMS endeavours to engage with the department to establish the reasons and to address them and find a solution so that the service can be continued." The essential services provided by AMS include the Flying Doctor Rural Health Outreach and a dedicated emergency air ambulance service.

Horn said the Flying Doctor Rural Health Outreach service had been operating in the Northern Cape since 1996. "Outreach programmes were conducted in Calvinia, De Aar, Nababeep, Springbok, Upington and Prieska to mention a few. Specialists are flown to remote rural hospitals where they hold primary and specialist clinics such as dental, physiotherapy, paediatrics, obstetrics, oncology, orthopaedics and many others. The dedicated emergency air ambulance service which was launched in 2005 is on standby for medical emergencies across the Province." The Northern Cape covers approximately one-third of the total surface area of South Africa, yet it has the country's smallest population and a low population density.

"During the past 14 years AMS, in partnership with the department, has provided over 174 000 specialist consultations and since 2005 has transported more than 30 000 patients," Horn stated.

She added that the loss of this service would mean that the outlying communities would have limited access to specialist care and no advanced life support emergency aero-medical services. "Most communities live on farms and in small towns and villages with vast distances between them. This service was established to provide movement of emergency and elective patients to referral facilities, cost effective delivery of specialist services to rural and disadvantaged communities, support of primary health care services and the transportation of medical equipment, drugs and vaccines to remote health facilities." Horn indicated that the Northern Cape had a severe shortage of advanced life Support emergency care practitioners.

"The end of the AMS service will definitely leave a void and add pressure on the health care system. Patients will now have to travel an average of 20 hours to and from Kimberley from outlying areas by road to receive specialist health care, creating a discomfort and aggravation of already ill or injured patients.

"Specialists will have to allow two days for travel to the peripheral areas to provide specialist services to the outlying hospitals." She pointed out that safety was a huge concern due to badly maintained road surfaces and wandering animals on the roads.

"Patients and specialists will now be exposed to these situations as they endeavour to seek and provide health care." Horn said the AMS had invested over R50 million in infrastructure in the Province.

"We have two fully converted medically equipped Pilatus PC 12 fixed-wing aircraft which transports outreach specialists arid patients daily. These aircraft have short runway capabilities as well as the ability to safely negotiate the gravel strips commonly encountered in rural areas.

"In 1999 the service was awarded the Impumelelo Innovations Award, which recognises innovations in government and public-private partnerships that reduce poverty and address key developmental issues of national priority" She stated that the Pilot Development Programme (PDP), which was launched in 2007 in association with the department and the South African Airways, was now also in jeopardy.

"The services that AMS offers are needs-driven and adaptable to the ever-changing needs of the community. The loss of this programme to the community would have a devastating impact on health care delivery of the Northern cape," Horns said.

The Department of Health indicated yesterday that they would respond.

Article:            Diamond Fields Advertiser

Date:               3 June 2010

Journalist:     Sandi Kwon Hoo