12/12/2018
Ambulance Services (EMS) – Know Your Rights!
An amendment to the Emergency Medical Services Regulations now stipulates that all ambulance services or Emergency Medical Services (EMS) need to be registered and licensed under the National Department of Health to provide services in a specified area. This this however only applies to private services and not to governmental EMS services. The requirement of a license ensures that all EMS are compliant with the regulations and meet a set standard of service.
What Does This Mean for the Patient?
All registered EMS are held accountable and are regulated by government ensuring the best service possible to the patients within the private sector.
How to Recognise Unregistered EMS
An unregistered EMS will most likely request payment in cash for services rendered to patients with medical aid. This is in contravention to the regulations and patients should refer the EMS and any costs incurred to their specified medical aid. Private patients without medical aid can however made alternative payment arrangements.
Who is Licensed to Operate within the Harry Gwala Region?
Only three EMS are licensed to operate within the Harry Gwala Region including Gijima Care Ambulance Services, ResqMed Ambulance Services and Midlands Emergency Services. These EMS may however collect patients from beyond the region for transportation to a location within the region. Any other EMS seen to be operating within the region are not licensed by the Department of Health and thus act in contravention to the regulations.
What Can Happen if I Use and Unlicensed EMS?
If you are a private medical aid patient, your medical aid could refuse to pay outstanding accounts from unregistered EMS. However if you are treated by an EMS service in an emergency situation, and are not made aware of their unlicensed status, you may refuse to pay any outstanding accounts refused by your medical aid.
The amendments were effective as from 1 December 2017 with a grace period of one year for EMS operational before commencement of the regulations. All EMS however have to be complaint as of 1 December 2018. The provision of emergency medical services without a license may be punishable on conviction to a fine not exceeding R500 000 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years.
For more information or to report and suspected unregistered EMS, please contact the KZN Health Call Centre: 0800 00 5133.