MEDICAL EMERGENCY TRANSPORTAND RESCUE ORGANIZATION METROEMS 2003 EMERGENCYMEDICALSERVICES ANNUALREVIEW2003 INTRODUCTION 2003wasthethirdyearofMinisterMeyer’stenureasHealthMinisterand thecontinuationoftheEmergencyMedicalServicesasaMinisterial Project.EMSisgratefulfortheMinistersinsight,encouragement,criticism andsupport,whichareundoubtedlyshapingtheWesternCapeEMSfor thefuture. ThefollowingreviewreflectstheactivitiesofEMSoverthelastcalendar yearanddocumentstheachievementsattainedthroughthecommitment andhardworkoftheservice. EMSVISION,MISSIONANDIDENTITY TheEmergencyMedicalServicesVisiondevelopedduringtheyearis, “QUALITY EMERGENCY CARE, FAST” TheMissionfortheWesternCapeEmergencyMedicalServicesadopted duringtheyearis, A Health focussed EMS system, delivered by skilled, efficient and motivated personnel with well equipped resources, that is rapidly accessed and responds timeously to place the right patient in appropriate care within the shortest possible time and results in the best patient outcome. ACorporatepatchandshieldwasdevelopedduringtheyear. ThearmsoftheStarofLifeinthepatchandthecentralstaffrepresentthe valuesoftheWesternCapeEMS,whichare; PROFESSIONALISM COMPASSION COURAGE INTEGRITY RESPECT CARING LOYALTY Thenumberofvalues,seven,representscompleteness. TableMountainincorporatingtheRedDisacreatestheidentityEMS relativetotheWesternCape. TheWordsWesternCapeMETROEMSdefinesthecorporateinwords. METRO standsfor MEDICALEMERGENCYTRANSPORTAND RESCUEORGANIZATION andEMSfor EMERGENCYMEDICAL SERVICES . EMSPEOPLE EMSManagement ThepeoplecomplimentofEMSnownumberssome1200staffwith289 currentlyremainingasemployeesoftheCityofCapeTown. Negotiationsonthetransferoftheremaining289EMSpeopleare continuingandindicationsarepositivethattheiranguishwithregardsto insecurityanduncertaintywithrespecttothefuturewillbesolvedinearly 2004. ThedelayinthetransferoftheCityofCapeTownpersonnelhasseverely hamperedtheabilityoftheservicetodeliverintheProvinceonits mandateofEmergencyCare. Thetransferoftheremainingpeopleearlyinthenewyearwillinject renewedenthusiasmandcapacityandenabletheservicetoperform. 2004isthereforewelcomedwithexpectantanticipation. EMSwelcomedDrKrishVallabhjeeastheimmediatetopmanagement supportduringtheyear.Krishcomesfromaruralhealthandpolicyand planningbackgroundandwillbringessentialskillstoensuringthe successinthedevelopmentofEMSintheProvince.DrBethEngelbrecht remainsachampionofEMSinHealthexecutivemanagementand deservesourheartfeltthanksforheractiveinvolvementinEMSduringthe managementtransition.Hergentle,professional,businesslike,calm approachtoemotiveandoftencontroversialissuesspeakstoher maturity.Wethankherforherabilitytomotivatepersistenceand commitmentinthefaceoffrustratingandoftendesperatetimes. ProfessorHousehamhasbeenashamelessyetcriticalsupporterofEMS alongwithourMinsterandfortheirappropriatechampioningofEMSwe aregrateful.Emergenciesshouldbedealtwithfirst,weagree. DrRobertson,MrPapuandDrSmithremainedastheexecutive managementofEMS.Theirrelentlessdoggedcommitmenttoachieving thevisionandmissionofEMSremainsapillarofthesuccessindelivering ontheexpectationsoftheMinisterandthepeopleoftheWesternCape whosehealthinterestsherepresents.EMSmanagementremained collectivelyfocussedanddeterminedin2003,intheprocessmakinghuge personalsacrifice. EMScontinuedtobuildmanagementcapacity(twoyearsagotherewere almostnomanagersorsupervisorsinruralareas).MrMaralackwas appointedinanactingpositiontomanagetheBoland/Overbergregion whileMessrsVisser,BritsandAhmedcontinuedtomanagetheWest Coast,SouthernCapeandMetropolitanRegionsrespectively. Supervisorsappointedduringlastyearcontinuedtodevelopandimprove localservicemanagement.Nonewsupervisorswereappointedduring 2003asbudgetpressuresqueezedtheorganizationagain. TheLifeSupporttraininglevelsofpersonnelachievedduringtheyearare 46%BasicLifeSupport,42%IntermediateLifeSupportand2% AdvancedLifeSupport.Theprojectedtargetsforskillslevelsare20% AdvancedLifeSupport,50%IntermediateLifeSupportand30%Basic LifeSupport. Thedistributionofstaffisasfollows,9%managementandsupervisors, 8%administrativeandsupportpersonneland83%clinicalpersonnel. ThepostsofAssistantDirectorFinanceandHumanResource Managementwereadvertised. Contractorswhothenbecamepermanentemployeesfilledthirty-nine posts. ThesalaryrangesforEMSpersonnelintheyearwere, Director R401406 DeputyDirector R235626 AssistantDirector R167805 DivisionalManager R134445 SectorManager R112593 ShiftManager R90663 Paramedic R156516 IntermediateLifeSupport R72786 BasicLifeSupport R58791 SeniorAdminOfficer R105018 AdminOfficer R84561 Clerk R46353 Cleaner R30702 Driver R39498 SalaryprogressioncontinuesactivelyinEMStoretainscarceskillsinthe publicserviceenvironment. EMSHumanResourceDevelopment ManagementCapacityisaspecificfocuswithintheEMSHuman ResourceDevelopment.MrSuttondesignedandpresenteda ManagementDevelopmentprogramforthefirsttimethisyear.The programaddressescapacitybuildingwithspecificreferencetoEMS. Forty-threemanagersparticipatedintheprogramandwillcontinueto progressnextyear. AworkshopofEMSmanagerswasheldduringtheyearattheSports ScienceCentreinNewlandstofocusoncollectivestrategicissuesand thefundamentalsofEMSmanagement.Issuesdiscussedatthe workshopwillbetakenforwardduring2004. TheCapeTechnikonAcademyofEmergencyCarewasofficiallyopened bytheMinisterofHealthattheoldOttoDuPlessisNursingCollege premises.MrLloydChristopherbeganhistenureasPrincipleofthe InstitutionwiththesupportofGavinSuttonasoperationsmanager. TheAcademyis,likemostSouthAfricaneducationalinstitutions, undergoingcontinuoustransformation,whichisoftenunsettlingand disturbsthefocusontraininganddevelopment.Theacademypersonnel haveadaptedandcollectivelywork-shoppedthevision,missionand strategicdirectionoftheinstitutionintothenextfiveyears. ThefirstyearoftheNationalDiplomainEmergencyMedicalCarewas completedforthefirsttimewith12studentsgoingthroughtothesecond year. 293StudentssuccessfullycompletedtrainingattheAcademyduringthe year. ElevenparamedicssuccessfullycompletedtheAdvancedLifeSupport Paramedicprogram.Congratulationstoall. RobinHenekejoinedthestaffasaparamedictrainer,whilePeterLesch joinedtoassistwithIntermediateLifeSupporttraining. MosesHuman,TrevorLeibrandtandJacobVanZyllefttheAcademyand optedtocontinuetheircareersintheMetropolitanRegionDivisionsas supervisors. LabourRelations EMSInstitutionalManagementLabourCommittees(IMLC’s)were establishedatregionalandprovincialleveltofacilitateimproved consultationoncollectiveissues. EMShaswoneverycasetakentotheCCMAthisyear. JobDescriptions AllEMSpersonnelhavegenericJobdescriptionsfortheirpostsforthe firsttime(previouslyeachlocalauthoritywithdifferentstaffcategories). PerformanceManagement TheStaffPerformanceManagementSystemwasintroducedforthefirst timein2003. GenderForum AstaffGenderForumwasestablishedthisyeartoassistwithadviceon genderissuesintheworkplace.Theforumhasestablishedaconstitution andworkingframeworkandwillprovidearesourcewheregenderissues canbedebated,consultedandaddressedtoassistwithmanagement decision. ThepolicyonpregnancyintheworkplaceforEMSpersonnelwillbethe firstproductoftheforumwhenitisfinalisedin2004. AbsenteeismandSickLeave Absenteeismandsickleavelevelshaveimprovedbuttheman-dayslost totals12882,theequivalentof6442ambulanceshifts(includesnormal leave). GrievancesandDisciplinary Grievanceanddisciplinaryregisterswerekeptforthefirsttimeand15 Individualgrievancesand38disciplinaryactionswererecorded. TransformationandEquity TheEMSTransformationSteeringCommitteemetforthefirsttimeto constructaframeworkfromwhichtomonitortransformationwithinEMS. ThecurrentfiguresforEMSintermsofdemographicsare; GROUP CURRENT TARGET Males 83.7% 48.1% Females 16.3% 51.9% White 14.4% 21.4% Coloured 72% 56% Indian 0.5% 1% Black 12.7% 21.6% ItisproposedinthenewyearthattheTransformationMonitoring Committeebeconstitutedwitha50%Management50%Labour,50% Male50%female,21%White21%Black56%Coloured2%Indian, membership. TheGenderforumwillassistthiscommittee. EMSisproudtobejoinedbyablindswitchboardoperatorandadeaf Delta9clerk,theirexceptionalcommunicationskillswillhopefullyruboff ontheotherpersonnel. HepatitisBVaccinationCover 75%ofEMSpersonnelhavebeenvaccinatedagainstHepatitisB. SmokingPolicy IntheinterestofgoodhealthEMShasembracedanon-smokingpolicy, whichmakesallEMSfacilitiesandvehiclesnon-smokingareas. EMSRESOURCES Finance TheEMSbudgetincreasedby 8.3% to R165642000 forthecurrent financialyear. Mostoftheincreaseinfundingisprovidedforpersonnelcosts(one-man ambulanceeliminationandsalaryprogression). Thisfundinglevelignoredprovisionforthefull17000000kmtravelled everyyear(deficitofR4million,eachkmcostsR1)andthefunctionsof theRedCrossAirMercyService(deficitofR4million).AsaresultEMSis projectedtooverspendbyR12million. RegionalManagershavedoneasuperbjobofcontrollingexpenditureand whereasEMSeveryyearincurreddeficitsofR10-20millionwithLocal Authoritiesthishasnowbeenbroughtundercontrol.Overtimehasbeen severelyrestrictedandthetotalearningsofpersonnelintheshortterm havesufferedseverely. TherevenuegeneratingcapacityofEMShasbeensignificantlyimproved bytheinstallationoftheDelta9System.MrsSadieandthreeclerksare nowworkingfeverishlyatdevelopingstructuretotherecoveryofprivate andpublicaccountsforthefirsttime.TherevenuerecoveryofEMSis projectedtobeatnewhighsfortheyear. EMSpreparedasolidbudgetargumentfor2004/5andasaresultan additionalR30millionhasbeenallocatedtoEMSforthenextfinancial year. Vehicles EMStookdeliveryofthefollowingnewvehiclesintheyear, 35MercedesBenzSprinterAmbulances 7MercedesBenzVitoRescueVehicles 6VolkswagenJettaRapidResponseVehicles 6ServiceVehicles 6Patienttransporters 2RoadSafetyPatrolVitos AnewEMSIncidentManagementBus