03 June 2010

The Department of Health is terminating the current aero-medical service (AMS) with the South African Red Cross and agreeing alternative AMS arrangements with the military services, at a lower cost.

The size, geography and population distribution of the Northern Cape Province poses special challenges for hospital services and the access that our people have to these services.

Although the Frances Baard District is geographically the smallest in the Northern Cape (3.4% of the total surface area of the province), it accommodates the largest proportion of people, giving it a population density of 26 people per square kilometre. This contrasts with a provincial average of less than three people per square kilometre.

The province has one provincial hospital, Kimberley Hospital, which provides some tertiary services and a larger number of secondary services. Gordonia Hospital in Upington is being developed as a Regional hospital and is providing an increasing number of secondary hospital services.
There are 15 district hospitals in the rural towns across the province. The smallest of these have just 30 beds (e.g. Kakamas Hospital in Siyanda District), and the largest has 183 beds (Tshwaragano Hospital in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District). The full list of district hospitals includes:

• John Taolo Gaetsewe District: Kuruman & Tshwaragano hospitals;
• Siyanda District: Postmasburg, Keimos & Kakamas hospitals;
• Namakwa District: Springbok & Calvinia hospitals;
• Pixley ka Seme District: De Aar, Prieska, Colesberg and Douglas hospitals;
• Frances Baard District: Barkly West, Hartswater, Jan Kempsdorp & Warrenton hospitals.

Because of the large size of the Northern Cape Province, patients often have to travel vast distances to reach appropriate medical care. To reach Kimberley Hospital, the tertiary facility of the Northern Cape, some patients living in the farthest corners of the province may need to travel up to 1,400 km. These are real challenges for health care provision in the province.
To manage these challenges, the Department of Health has a four-pronged approach:

• A district health system providing primary health care, including district hospitals;
• Regional and tertiary hospitals services;
• A patient transport system, particularly for emergencies;
• A doctor outreach service from the tertiary Kimberley Hospital to the distant regional and district hospitals.

In order to support access to specialist hospital services across the province the Department has, for more than 10 years, commissioned an AMS for the movement of patients and clinical personnel, to and between hospitals, by air transportation.

The department has for some time been concerned about the cost of this AMS, and the ongoing need to invest more money in district and regional hospital services. Concerns about value for money have also been raised by the office of the Auditor General and the Portfolio Committee of the Northern Cape Legislature.

To address these concerns the Department of Health is terminating the current AMS with the South African Red Cross (Air Mercy Service) arrangement and agreeing alternative AMS arrangements with the military services, at a lower cost. The department will also be taking this opportunity to strengthen the number of doctors at Gordonia Hospital, and will be seeking to recruit paramedic ambulance personnel for Kimberley and Upington. ENDS

Note for editors:

1. Aero-medical service or AMS is the term used worldwide to describe the transportation of patients or clinical personnel by helicopter of fixed wing planes. The acronym AMS has also been adopted by South African Red Cross for their “Air Mercy Service”.
2. Secondary hospital services provided by a Regional Hospital include some or all of the following: Anaesthetics, Diagnostic Radiology, General Medicine, General Surgery, Psychiatry & Psychology, Neonatology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Paediatrics, and Therapy Services.
3. Tertiary hospital services provided by a Provincial Hospital include, in addition to many of the secondary services, some or all of the following: Burns, Critical & Intensive Care (including paediatric & neonatal), Dermatology, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Ophthalmology, Paediatric Surgery, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Respiratory Medicine, Trauma, Urology, Vascular Surgery, Outreach Ambulatory Specialist Services

Issued by the Northern Cape Department of Health.

Date: 03 June 2010
Enquiries: Lulu Ntsie
Telephone: (053) 830 2112/ 083 357 4441