German Embassy sponsors COVID-19 ambulance and equipment for Namibian medical NGO

The German Embassy supported Windhoekbased EMA Emergency Medical Assistance Organisation in its quest to provide excellent medical assistance during the current pandemic and beyond. The German Ambassador in Namibia, HE Herbert Beck, handed over a special ambulance and medical equipment to local NGO EMA in the presence Hon Deputy Minister, Jeremiah Nghipundjwa, acting deputy executive director, officially delegated to represent the Ministry of Health and Social Services, as well as acting deputy executive director Petronella Masabane.

A total of 1 888 610 NAD or 97 351 Euros from the 2020 micro project fund of the German Embassy was made available for the purchase of a special ambulance and medical equipment to mitigate the high impact of COVID-19 on Windhoek residents. The main focus is to assist vulnerable community members by providing free access to emergency medical treatment and transport to hospital. This service is primarily for people who are without medical aid and unable to afford emergency medical services.

EMA provides a rapid-response emergency medical service comprising of immediate medical care by trained professionals and onward transfer to a recognised medical facility and services all Windhoek locations, including the informal settlements.

With the specially equipped ICU negative pressure ambulance for COVID-19 cases, EMA will complement the already existing emergency service of the MoHSS and CoW by providing rapid-response medical service. Given the current COVID-19 situation, this special ambulance will increase the chances of survival for the patient during transport.

The ambulance’s rear interior includes a medical and three bench seats with safety belts, negative pressure filter system, UV light cleaning system, cabinet system, inverter system, intercom to the front, Ferno type roll-in stretcher, air conditioning, weather station and timer, LED dim light system and a spot light. Equipment include a removable high infectious disease chamber, defib monitor with 12 lead ECG, EtCO2, SpO2, NIPB, temperature, respiratory rate, vacuum mattress, scoop stretcher, video laryngoscope, KED, blue splints, head blocks, pelvic grip set, Ferno type soft neck collar, burn pack, mobile suction unit, ILS/ALS emergency bag, isolation suits etc.

safe for high speed driving in an emergency situation.

These LDV vehicles are often unstable at speed, both because of basic suspension designs and because of the high centre of gravity that becomes evident once the patient compartment is added to an LDV to create the ambulance vehicle. The high centre of gravity not only serves to make these LDV ambulances unstable during cornering and emergency manoeuvres but also during instances of strong winds, which is a daily occurrence in a number of South African provinces. While it is often argued that the use of LDV ambulances is essential to the servicing of rural communities and while it is argued that accessing these rural communities means that an LDV ambulance will often be operated at low speeds while navigating rural road networks, the LDV ambulance will also be required to travel at higher speeds on regional and national roads once a patient has been located and is subsequently transported to hospitals in nearby towns and cities. These same hospitals can often be located hundreds of kilometres from the patient’s home, which will require extended transportation in these same LDV ambulances under unstable driving conditions, which adds to poor patient and practitioner safety as an additional concern.

Simply put, there must be a better solution to the use of LDV ambulances in South Africa and an urgent and immediate change of thought and approach to the matter is now required.

This is the first in a series of articles looking at ambulance design and technology and the importance of safe guarding the lives of our medics and patients.