Flying High for 40 Years - Celebrating the SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service

In 1966, with enthusiasm, vision and a Cessna 205 single-engine six-seat aircraft, volunteers from the South African Red Cross Society flew their first air ambulance flight from Cape Town to Oudtshoorn. This was to be the first of thousands of mercy flights across South Africa.

Since then, the AMS has flown 6,521,334 kilometres and transferred 12,849 critically ill or injured patients via its fixed- and rotor-wing air ambulance service.

The year 2006 marks an important milestone for this non-profit organisation, which plays such a vital role in providing not only emergency rescue and air ambulance services, but also a community outreach programme, taking critically needed healthcare to impoverished rural communities.

The flying doctor and health outreach programme has made healthcare and surgery regularly available to 212,877 isolated patients in rural areas in Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, since 1996 and 1998 respectively. It has also created regular opportunities for local healthcare specialists to expand via hands-on training from the visiting outreach teams.

Paediatrician Chris Kelly, who volunteers his services each month, is proud to play a role in setting up regular paediatric outpatients clinics at provincial hospitals in rural KwaZulu-Natal. “Besides improving patient care, our outreach team plays an important role in giving community doctors the support they need,” he says.
“Without the Red Cross AMS flying us to outlying areas, our outreach programme would be impossible,” says Dr Daniel Osei-Fofie, an Oncologist, who flies regularly to peripheral areas in the Northern Cape, as part of the flying doctor and health outreach service.

The AMS has grown into a comprehensive aero-medical network and works closely with the provincial departments of health to provide access to equitable and effective healthcare for all communities. It has bases in Western Cape (Cape Town and Oudtshoorn), KwaZulu-Natal (Durban and Richards Bay) and Northern Cape (Kimberley).

“Due to the huge need for our services in the more remote areas of our country, we have expanded exponentially and look forward to spreading our wings over the next forty years and more,” says John Stone, CEO of the AMS.

“While we are able to recover most of our operational costs from provincial health departments and other associated medical aid organisations, our development nevertheless relies heavily on supplementary public donations,” says Stone.

Apart from fundraising, the AMS birthday year is the ideal time to celebrate on behalf of the many people we have saved, as well those whose lives have benefited in so many ways from regular access to otherwise unavailable, equitable healthcare.

“It is also fitting for us to pay tribute to the thousands of aviation, medical and healthcare specialists who, over the years, have voluntarily contributed time and expertise to provide this life-changing, life-saving care. They are the everyday heroes, who perform an extraordinary service to society’s most vulnerable,” says Stone.

In its birthday year, the AMS is asking people for a R40 monthly gift as a contribution towards purchasing state-of-the-art medical and aviation equipment, and developing infrastructure and services.

To donate, please sms “gift” to 38709, visit www.ams.org.za, tel (021) 487-3860 or e-mail adele@ams.org.za.

“Our four-year old daughter Tanya was paralysed with a suspected brain tumour. The AMS flew her from Kimberley to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital for specialised treatment. She is now back at home and fully recovered,” tells Jennifer Jantjies, of Port Nolloth.

“When three-year old Ronedine was bitten by a Cape Cobra, I thought she would die. But thanks to the quick treatment by the AMS and her transfer by air ambulance to Cape Town, she is alive today,” tells Martha Lombard, of Leeu-Gamka.

In the Western Cape, the AMS is based at Cape Town International and Oudtshoorn Airport. Last year the organisation saved the lives of 929 people, ranging from critically ill patients to those needing rescue from hazardous mountainsides, stormy seas and other danger areas. Its rotor-wing service performed 38 mountain and sea rescues and transferred 375 patients, while the fixed-wing air ambulance flew 332,871 kilometers and transferred 517 patients to hospital during 383 flights.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the AMS outreach service last year handled 464 surgical cases and made possible 225 optometry clinics, 565 specialist clinics and 178 rehabilitation clinics, providing care to more than 20,445 patients in rural communities. In July 2005, the AMS started a new helicopter emergency medical service at Durban International, which has transferred 122 patients, while the organisation’s new helicopter emergency medical service was established in Richards Bay in December.
In the Northern Cape, the AMS is based at Kimberley Airport, from where it provides rural health outreach and emergency aero-medical services to peripheral communities. Last year alone, the service flew a total of 927,903 kilometers and provided specialist and surgical services to rural hospitals in Calvinia, De Aar, Springbok, Kuruman, Jan Kempdorp and Upington.