About
What is SAPAESA?
SAPAESA is the South African Private Ambulance & Emergency Services Association, a non-profit, member organization that seeks to constantly improve the standards of pre-hospital emergency medical care in South Africa by combining the shared knowledge and resources of our members to uplift the service provision of the industry as a whole.
SAPAESA believes in fair and equal access to the private ambulance market, by all providers who service the market to a high standard and in adherence with current accreditation criteria for private ambulance services.
What we do
SAPAESA encourages all medical aid schemes, insurers and funders in the private healthcare industry to make use of a wide network of designated service providers in order to:
- improve access to private emergency services to clients;
- encourage competition and development with the private ambulance industry, and
- encourage equitable access, without favour or prejudice, to providers in the market who strive to meet, and exceed, the expectations of these funding bodies.
Our History
Board of Directors
Mr Clint Ruggunan
Mr Neil Gargan
Mr Terence Emslie
Mr Dave Gardner
Ms Simphiwe Mamvura
Mr Glen Preston
Mr Graydon Norton
FAQs
No, SAPAESA only represents private ambulance services that meet our membership criteria and that continue to strive to offer quality, pre-hospital healthcare to members of the South Africa public. Unfortunately SAPAESA is not in a position to offer membership to services that do not meet our membership criteria or who have an ongoing history of problematic service provision within the industry. As such SAPAESA does not represent every private ambulance service within the country but strives to represent every service that has applied for membership, meets the membership criteria and adheres to the SAPAESA code of conduct.
Yes. Just as you would pay your local private doctor, private pharmacy or private hospital for services rendered, you will be expected to pay for the services that you receive from a private ambulance service during a medical emergency. If you are a member of a medical aid scheme, the medical aid scheme in question will often cover the cost of utilization of a private ambulance service where this is justified, however in certain instances the medical aid scheme may decline payment for the utilization of a private ambulance service and in this case the patient will remain liable for the cost of the private ambulance in question.
SAPAESA is registered as a non-profit company. SAPAESA has no shareholders and as such no profit is distributed at the end of the financial year. Where a financial surplus is generated by SAPAESA, these funds are used for the growth and development of the association. This may include employing additional staff members, embarking on new projects and the development of additional member benefits.
No. The private ambulance industry receives no financial assistance from government for the treatment and transportation of indigent patients. A number of private ambulance services across the country are small and medium sized business and the treatment and transportation of patients who do not have the ability to pay for the service puts significant strain on this specific sector of the private healthcare industry.
Our Sponsors
