South African Military Health Service
Encyclopedia
The South African Military Health Service is the branch of the South African National Defence Force
responsible for medical facilities and the training and deployment of all medical personnel within the force. Though unusual, as most national militaries integrate their medical structures into their existing service branches, the SANDF regards this structure as being the most efficient method of providing care and support to the SANDF's personnel.
It is a significant actor in the effort to control HIV/AIDS within the SANDF.
(SADF) in 1979 in order to consolidate the medical services of the South Africa
n Army
, Navy
and Air Force
.
During the Apartheid era, the SAMS under Dr. Wouter Basson
was responsible for Project Coast
, a secret military program for the development and procurement of chemical and biological weapons, including poisons that the SADF could use to eliminate political and military opponents.
, it implemented several retrenchment measures in the early 1990s. It consolidated all quartermaster
stores in the Cape Town
and the Bloemfontein
areas, relocated its training center from Potchefstroom to Pretoria
, closed several medical supply depots, consolidated computer centers and systems, rationalized procedures for procuring medicine and medical equipment, discontinued survival training, and reduced or closed sickbays and military medical clinics that served other armed services affected by retrenchments.
The SAMS was incorporated into the South African National Defence Force
on 27 April 1994, and was renamed the South African Military Health Service on 1 June 1998.
The Surgeon General heads the SAMHS and has the rank of Lieutenant-General. The SAMHS operates three Military Hospital
s; one near Pretoria
, one in Cape Town
and one in Bloemfontein
. There are also four specialized institutes - the Institute for Aviation Medicine, the Institute for Maritime Medicine, the Military Veterinary Institute and the Military Psychological Institute. Together, these units provide comprehensive medical care for military personnel and their dependents, as well as the police and employees of other security-related government departments, and occasionally to neighboring countries. The SAMHS also provides extensive veterinary services for animals (mainly horses and dogs) used by the security and correctional services. The Institute for Aviation Medicine and the Institute for Maritime Medicine screen pilot candidates for the air force and for civilian aviation certification, as well as divers and submariners for the navy. The military's medical services also include general medical and dental care, and specialized rehabilitation services.
The SAMHS is organized into regional medical commands, corresponding to the army's regional commands, as well as a Medical Logistics Command and a Medical Training Command. The regional commands support military units, military base hospitals, and military unit sickbays in their region. The Medical Logistics Command is responsible for medical logistics only, as each service provides for its own logistics support. In addition, the Medical Training Command supervises the South African Medical Service College, the South African Military Health Service Nursing College, and the South African Military Health Service Training Centre, as well as the military hospitals' training programs. The nursing college, in Pretoria, grants a four-year nursing diploma in association with the University of South Africa
. Specialized, in-service training courses for nurses and for nursing assistants are also available.
South African National Defence Force
The South African National Defence Force is the armed forces of South Africa. The military as it exists today was created in 1994, following South Africa's first post-apartheid national elections and the adoption of a new constitution...
responsible for medical facilities and the training and deployment of all medical personnel within the force. Though unusual, as most national militaries integrate their medical structures into their existing service branches, the SANDF regards this structure as being the most efficient method of providing care and support to the SANDF's personnel.
It is a significant actor in the effort to control HIV/AIDS within the SANDF.
History
The Service was established as a full service branch of the South African Defence ForceSouth African Defence Force
The South African Defence Force was the South African armed forces from 1957 until 1994. The former Union Defence Force was renamed to the South African Defence Force in the Defence Act of 1957...
(SADF) in 1979 in order to consolidate the medical services of the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n Army
South African Army
The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910.The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies...
, Navy
South African Navy
The South African Navy is the navy of the Republic of South Africa.-Formation:The South African Navy can trace its official origins back to the SA Naval Service, which was established on 1 April 1922....
and Air Force
South African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
.
During the Apartheid era, the SAMS under Dr. Wouter Basson
Wouter Basson
Wouter Basson is a South African cardiologist and former head of the country's secret chemical and biological warfare project, Project Coast, during the apartheid era. Nicknamed "Dr...
was responsible for Project Coast
Project Coast
Project Coast was a top-secret chemical and biological weapons program instituted by the South African government during the apartheid era. Project Coast was the successor to a limited post-war CBW program which mainly produced the lethal agents CX powder and mustard gas; as well as non-lethal...
, a secret military program for the development and procurement of chemical and biological weapons, including poisons that the SADF could use to eliminate political and military opponents.
Rationalisation
Following the end of the Border WarSouth African Border War
The South African Border War, commonly referred to as the Angolan Bush War in South Africa, was a conflict that took place from 1966 to 1989 in South-West Africa and Angola between South Africa and its allied forces on the one side and the Angolan government, South-West Africa People's...
, it implemented several retrenchment measures in the early 1990s. It consolidated all quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
stores in the Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and the Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
areas, relocated its training center from Potchefstroom to Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, closed several medical supply depots, consolidated computer centers and systems, rationalized procedures for procuring medicine and medical equipment, discontinued survival training, and reduced or closed sickbays and military medical clinics that served other armed services affected by retrenchments.
The SAMS was incorporated into the South African National Defence Force
South African National Defence Force
The South African National Defence Force is the armed forces of South Africa. The military as it exists today was created in 1994, following South Africa's first post-apartheid national elections and the adoption of a new constitution...
on 27 April 1994, and was renamed the South African Military Health Service on 1 June 1998.
Organisational Structure
The SAMHS includes active duty military personnel, civilian employees of the Ministry of Defence. In addition, the military employs roughly 400 medical doctors and private medical specialists are sometimes appointed to supplement the staff of the SAMHS.The Surgeon General heads the SAMHS and has the rank of Lieutenant-General. The SAMHS operates three Military Hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s; one near Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, one in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and one in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
. There are also four specialized institutes - the Institute for Aviation Medicine, the Institute for Maritime Medicine, the Military Veterinary Institute and the Military Psychological Institute. Together, these units provide comprehensive medical care for military personnel and their dependents, as well as the police and employees of other security-related government departments, and occasionally to neighboring countries. The SAMHS also provides extensive veterinary services for animals (mainly horses and dogs) used by the security and correctional services. The Institute for Aviation Medicine and the Institute for Maritime Medicine screen pilot candidates for the air force and for civilian aviation certification, as well as divers and submariners for the navy. The military's medical services also include general medical and dental care, and specialized rehabilitation services.
The SAMHS is organized into regional medical commands, corresponding to the army's regional commands, as well as a Medical Logistics Command and a Medical Training Command. The regional commands support military units, military base hospitals, and military unit sickbays in their region. The Medical Logistics Command is responsible for medical logistics only, as each service provides for its own logistics support. In addition, the Medical Training Command supervises the South African Medical Service College, the South African Military Health Service Nursing College, and the South African Military Health Service Training Centre, as well as the military hospitals' training programs. The nursing college, in Pretoria, grants a four-year nursing diploma in association with the University of South Africa
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa is a distance education university, with headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa. With approximately 300 000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the world's mega universities.-History:...
. Specialized, in-service training courses for nurses and for nursing assistants are also available.
Mobile Military Health Formation
- 1 Medical Battalion Group (Reserve)
- 3 Medical Battalion Group (Reserve)
- 6 Medical Battalion Group (Reserve)
- 7 Medical Battalion Group7 Medical Battalion Group7 Medical Battalion Group is the specialist Airborne Medical Battalion of the South African Military Health Service. The Battalion's main task is to render medical support to the South African Special and Airborne Forces....
- 8 Medical Battalion Group
Tertiary Military Health Formation
- 1 Military Hospital (PretoriaPretoriaPretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
) - 2 Military Hospital (Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
) - 3 Military Hospital (BloemfonteinBloemfonteinBloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
) - Institute for Aviation Medicine
- Institute for Maritime Medicine
- Military Psychological Institute
- Military Veterinary Institute
Area Military Health Formation
- Area Military Health Unit Western Cape
- Area Military Health Unit Eastern Cape
- Area Military Health Unit Northern Cape
- Area Military Health Unit North-West
- Area Military Health Unit Free State
- Area Military Health Unit KwaZulu-Natal
- Area Military Health Unit Gauteng
- Area Military Health Unit Mpumalanga
- Area Military Health Unit Limpopo
- Regional Occupational Health and Safety Centres
Military Health Training Formation
- School for Military Health Training
- School for Military Training
- SAMHS Nursing College
- SAMHS Band
- Medical Command Post Combat Training Centre (Lohatla)
- Joint Physical Training, Sports & Recreation Training Centre
Military Health Formation
- Military Health Base Depot
- Military Health Procurement Unit
Directorates & Services
- Director Medicine
- Chaplain Services
- Sport & Recreation
- Corporate Communication