Air ambulance patients decline in Gauteng

20 September 2017

The number of emergency patients airlifted to state hospitals in Gauteng has declined from 112 in 2013 to 45 last year.

This is according to a written reply by Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

The Gauteng Health Department uses helicopters from three private companies to airlift severely ill or injured patients. This includes major spinal and head injuries, extensive burns, respiratory distress, near drownings and electrocution - all cases where time is of the essence.

The number of patients transported by air ambulance in the last four years was as follows:

2013/14 - 112 patients at a cost of R3.5 million

2014/15 - 73 patients at a cost of R3 million

2015/16 - 80 patients at a cost of R3.2 million

2016/17 - 45 patients at a cost of R2.5 million

It is an expensive service, costing about R55 000 a patient last year.

I hope that the decline in airlifted patients is because there was less of a demand for it, rather than a cost-saving measure.

An air ambulance service is essential in saving as many lives as possible in emergency situations, and should be used wherever medically indicated.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 20 September 2017