Concern over shift to varsity paramedic training
SOUTH Africans in need of emergency medical assistance may soon be in trouble with a move to ensure paramedic training is only done at universities, potentially leading to fewer skilled paramedics being trained.
A new regulation, which was widely expected by the emergency service industry and which was driven by the Health Professionals Council of SA, was made official on Friday by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
It ends the use of six-week [basic life support paramedic training], six-month [intermediate life support paramedic training] and nine-month [advanced life support paramedic training] courses and on-the-job experience to train paramedics.
Now, those wanting to train as a basic life support paramedic will have to do a two-year course, and those wanting to become advanced life support paramedics must do a four-year degree.
This makes it especially difficult for those who cannot afford to study full time at universities, to join the profession. The changes in law were done to bring training in line with the national qualifications framework, as well as, according to an insider, to end short courses which are said to have become a cash cow for many colleges pushing out thousands of graduates with questionable skills.
Paramedic Max Cohen said the change was good as it would professionalise the industry.
But others say it will reduce the number of paramedics qualifying due to universities’ limited capacities.
Many paramedics say the new training is too theoretical and prevents experienced and already working personnel from furthering their studies, especially those wanting to become advanced life support paramedics.
SA Private Ambulance Emergency Services Association CEO Oliver Wright said the decision to end vocational training “essentially set SA up for a catastrophic failure in terms of staffing resources within the country’s emergency medical services”.
He said already there were too few advanced life support paramedics and only a few universities which could offer full-time paramedic training.
He said the graduates produced annually through tertiary institutions would not be enough to grow the industry as required.
Wright said South Africa was behind international benchmarks in terms of the number of paramedics.
A paramedic, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the shift to university training in recent years had resulted in the quality of paramedic skills declining, with too few graduates entering the profession with sufficient practical experience.
The new law blocks those with basic and intermediate qualifications from advancing their training and skills unless they go to university for three years.
The paramedic said: “This effectively means people with years of invaluable experience are blocked from progress. This could send them abroad where they are better paid.” — TMG