Govt weighs air ambulance amid patient deaths

Government is considering a dedicated national air ambulance service to reduce deaths among critically ill patients during long road transfers to referral hospitals, health minister Dr Esperance Luvindao said last week.

The ministry is reviewing and reconciling data on patients who died in transit, while it is considering new ways to transport patients and expand specialist services closer to where people live, she added.

Luvindao acknowledged that deaths had occurred during transfers.

“While the ministry strives for zero in-transit mortality, we do acknowledge that devastating incidences have occurred, and the ministry must do something about it,” she said.

“Regarding the specific number of patients who tragically died in transit to referral hospitals over the past 24 months, the ministry is undertaking a comprehensive review and reconciliation of that particular data,” she said.

Luvindao said the health ministry and the works ministry are in the final stages of developing an alternative way to transport patients over long distances, with the initiative expected to be concluded and announced in November.

She also disclosed that a high-level multi-stakeholder task force is assessing the feasibility of operating a dedicated air ambulance service.

Luvindao said every incident is reviewed to establish what happened and identify measures that could prevent similar cases.

She identified patients' medical conditions and logistical challenges among the factors affecting transfers.

Some patients, she said, are already critically ill by the time they are referred to another hospital and may be suffering from advanced conditions that leave them highly unstable during transportation.

Luvindao said time is particularly important in serious trauma cases because some treatment has to be provided within what clinicians describe as the “golden hour”.

Katima refers about 30 patients monthly

Luvindao said preliminary information from the Zambezi region showed that Katima Mulilo State Hospital refers about 30 patients a month to higher-level health facilities for treatment not available locally.

She acknowledged that transporting patients from distant regions such as Zambezi to specialised facilities imposes substantial costs on the health budget.

The ministry is compiling a reconciled report on those costs.

Luvindao said the ministry recognises that the current referral system disadvantages patients in remote regions who must travel long distances to access healthcare.

One option under discussion has been to gradually upgrade Katima Mulilo State Hospital to an intermediate hospital, while others have called for it to become a referral hospital.

Luvindao said a shortage of funds prevents the ministry from carrying out all the required upgrades at once but the ministry has started introducing services aimed at reducing referrals.

These include a dialysis unit and more specialists working in the region.

Luvindao nevertheless acknowledged that more specialists are required if more patients are to be treated at Katima Mulilo instead of being sent elsewhere.

Reduce trauma and deaths

The proposed air ambulance would target critically ill patients in distant areas, where the time required to reach specialist medical care can affect their chances of survival.

“This vital initiative aims to strengthen medical response, drastically reduce trauma times for critically ill patients, particularly from distant areas, and ultimately improve survival and recovery outcomes,” she added.

Namibia currently relies on private air medical evacuations, which are expensive and have limited availability.

The ministry is trying to address the shortage of expertise by sending more medical officers for specialist training.

Luvindao said the state is incorporating the construction of intensive care units into its financial planning, particularly in areas identified as hotspots for motor vehicle accidents.

She said the longer-term approach is to increase services available in the regions so fewer patients have to travel long distances for specialist treatment.