Advanced life support medics in short supply

THE demand for advanced life support paramedics (ALS) – the cream of the crop in the medics fraternity – is greater than the provincial health department’s ability to recruit and retain the highly-skilled technicians, department spokesman Darren Francis said yesterday.

There are currently 141 ALS paramedics working in the province, while 13 resigned in the past year.

An ALS practitioner’s qualifications exceed a basic and intermediate qualified paramedic.

“Nationally, there is a dire need for ALS practitioners and in the (province), we face similar challenges in providing ALS care in certain areas. But we are able to ensure that each and every citizen has access to ALS care.

“While the province is in a far more favourable position than many other provinces, the demand for ALS is still far greater than our ability to recruit and retain such skilled resources,” Francis said.

While reasons for the resignations varied, there was a general trend among medics leaving South Africa to work abroad, said Ian Klopper, manager of an international air ambulance service.

Klopper does not want his company’s name published in order to protect the identity of the victims of the war-torn countries for which his company provides medical assistance.

He said an ALS medic working in the Middle East would earn in two months what he earned in South Africa in a year.

The work ethic of South Africans was also highly soughtafter in other countries, he added.

“It is true that there is a dire need for more advanced paramedics in South Africa, and even more true that dozens of medics are leaving every year to work abroad. The pay in other countries far exceeds that of South Africa. It is sad because we are producing great medics, but we are unable to hold on to them,” Klopper said.

Francis could not confirm whether the paramedics resigned to work abroad.

Currently, an average of 90 ALS practitioners a year graduated.

Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, said the city had five ALS paramedics stationed at Goodwood Fire Station, who were spread among three shifts.

Their primary function was to assist firefighters injured in the line of duty.

“We do have a basic life-support practitioner, intermediate life-support practitioner and five ALS practitioners. Our core function is firefighting, and we will assist the EMS with medically-trained personnel when requested to do so,” Smith said.

Providing emergency medical assistance was the responsibility of the provincial health department and the city provided support where it could, Smith said.