Govt air ambulance free for state patients

The health ministry says patients without private medical aid will not be charged for emergency air ambulance services, while those who are insured will be assisted when alternative emergency evacuation services are unavailable.

In response to media enquiries, health ministry spokesperson Walters Kamaya said on Sunday that state patients would not be required to pay for medical air evacuations, as the service was primarily established to assist those who cannot afford private medical aid.

He confirmed that government would cover the full cost of medical air evacuations for eligible state patients.

He added, however, that the service would also accommodate patients with private or government medical aid when emergency medical evacuation services are unavailable.

Kamaya said eligibility would depend on the patient's medical condition and the availability of appropriate services at the referring hospital.

“The eligibility criteria includes, but is not limited to, patients requiring urgent specialist intervention unavailable at the referring hospital and for which ground transport service is not clinically appropriate; critically ill or injured patients for whom ground transfer would create an unacceptable clinical risk or delay; as well as patients requiring time-critical neurosurgical, cardiac, trauma, obstetric or other specialist care, where clinical assessment supports air transfer.”

Insurer payments

On medical aid payments, the ministry said the Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (Psemas) and private medical aid funds already cover medical evacuations in accordance with their respective policies and regulations.

“While there are no specific agreements with private medical funds pertaining to the utilisation of state air ambulance, the same principle of payment by medical aid funds and private patients will apply as it is the case with payments at the state facilities,” Kamaya said.

He clarified that no specific agreements have been concluded with private medical aid funds regarding the use of the state-owned air ambulance to date.

N$7.2m investment

The ministry also disclosed that approximately N$7.2 million was spent equipping the aircraft and two helicopters with medical equipment.

The aircraft was not purchased specifically for the air ambulance service but was transferred from existing government assets and repurposed to strengthen emergency medical services.

The helicopters made available by the defence ministry and the Namibian Police, which will be deployed when needed.