adminRobin Muchetu Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S health care system is relying on one dedicated air ambulance, a situation that could mean the country may be unable to adequately provide aeromedical evacuation of patients if an emergency arises. A dedicated air ambulance is permanently configured as an air ambulance and is readily available for use at any time. It is not used for any other purpose besides carrying patients from one facility to another.
The Association of Health Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ), a regulatory body for all medical aid societies in the country, confirmed that only one dedicated air ambulance is working in the country.
“The Cimas Emergency Air Rescue Service (Cears) operates, to the best of our knowledge, the only dedicated air ambulance in Zimbabwe. The difference between a dedicated air ambulance and other air ambulances is that a dedicated air ambulance is an aircraft utilised solely for the medical transportation of patients, while non-dedicated air ambulances are generally chartered aircraft that may be used for other purposes as well,” said the chief executive officer, Mrs Shylet Sanyanga.
She said the hygienic standard of a dedicated air ambulance is easily maintained as it is used for medical purposes only.
International medical insurance companies require emergency medical evacuations to be carried out only by dedicated air ambulances. However, AHFoZ said there are other air ambulances operated by other organisations. Ace Air and Ambulance and Medical Air Rescue Services (Mars) both operate air ambulances.
“Although there may be only one dedicated air ambulance in the country, there are, as already explained, other air ambulances available. Moreover, the Cimas Emergency Air Rescue Service is able to charter an additional aircraft should a situation arise where this is necessary. Its air ambulance service is not restricted to members of Cimas Medical Aid Society. It is available to anyone who requires the service and has funding for it,” she said.
As the representative body of medical aid societies, AHFoZ said it is supportive of any efforts by its member societies to improve the access of their members and of the general public to medical facilities.
Emergency air ambulances can play a critical role in the saving of lives, when an emergency medical evacuation is required or when it is necessary for patients to be transported urgently to hospitals in other countries for life saving operations not available locally.
Sanyanga said medical aid societies are primarily funders of medical treatment and it is up to individual medical aid societies whether they wish to provide health services as well, as some have chosen to do for the benefit of their members.
Mr McDonald Chaora, the Cimas group chief executive officer, said their air ambulance was issued its permit in 2014 and it started operating in February 2015.
“An air ambulance is an aircraft fully configured with medical equipment and manned by a medical team to evacuate critically ill patients. The air ambulance was introduced after Cimas discovered a gap in the market in terms of patient air evacuations,” he said.
Mr Chaora said the cost of a flight depends on the patient’s condition, location and destination. The air ambulance operates anywhere within Southern, Central and East Africa, that is from South of the Equator to the Cape region.
He said the air ambulance allows the medical crew access to critically ill patients with life or limb threatening conditions, regardless of the availability or condition of road networks.
It also gives patients a greater chance of survival because of quicker access to the much needed medical attention.
The Cimas Emergency Air Rescue Service air ambulance is fitted with modern intensive care equipment.
It only requires a runway of about 800 metres for landing and take-off. It can land on tarmac, gravel or grass, making it ideal for carrying out medical air rescue operations even in remote areas such as game parks and out of the way tourist resorts. It is pressurised, which is an important factor when evacuating critically ill patients, especially those with head, chest or traumatic injuries.
It can travel at an altitude of up to 29 000 feet above sea level, allowing it to fly above the weather. It is also fuel efficient and can reach virtually anywhere in Southern, Central and East Africa without needing to stop to refuel.
The minimal crew on board all medical evacuation missions is two pilots, a doctor and nurse, both of whom have aviation medicine experience and are up to date in advanced cardiovascular life support and basic life support practices.
The medical crew accompany the patient the whole way, including in the road ambulance that transports the patient between the aircraft and the hospital.
The emergency medical air rescue service is included in the benefits of Cimas members who are on the Healthguard Deluxe, Private Hospital, Medexec and General packages. However, it is available for anyone in need of emergency medical evacuation by air, whether a member of Cimas or not.
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