Uplifting and upskilling

ER24 offers site-based medical services, mainly within the mining industry.

In the spirit of transformation, the SBMS department has identified 51% black-owned entities for preferential procurement, upliftment and development, skills development, training, mentorship and coaching. ER24’s Site-Based Medical Service (SBMS) department offers customised emergency medical services and an integrated healthcare support solution to a variety of clients.

The majority of the business – up to 95% – sits within the South African mining environment. SBMS runs in the region of 30 projects, involving more than 200 emergency medical staff – from basic life support (BLS) to advanced life support (ALS) and doctor-based solutions.

“We provide medical assistance and infrastructure to mitigate the incidence of on-site medical emergency risk,” says Walt Egger, ER24’s Project Sales Manager: Mining, Energy & Infrastructure. “We strive to minimise health and safety impacts, which ensures continuity of client business and productivity in the event of a medical emergency incident.”

As part of the ongoing journey, the SBMS division has devised three subcontracting models to help empower smaller emergency medical services providers in the local mining sector.

Northern Cape

In 2019, ER24 submitted a bid to KIO, a subsidiary of Anglo American, to provide EMS services (including fire and rescue) at Kolomela mine in Postmasburg and at Sishen mine in Kathu. “We fully support the development of previously disadvantaged communities and local, black-empowered SMEs and we want to give something back within the environments in which we operate,” Egger explains.

Coaching, mentoring, tutoring and training a local SME BBEEE company is closely aligned with Mediclinic and ER24’s diversity, inclusion and transformation goals. ER24 had engaged with a local emergency response service provider in the Northern Cape, and has since subcontracted 51% of the contract to them. This is an ongoing partnership that involves developing infrastructure and upskilling local community members.

“When we started working with the appointed provider in 2019, its staff had no training in the fire and rescue environment,” says Peter van der Merwe, ER24 Manager: Site Based Medical Services.

“We immediately implemented training matrixes and are proud to now be facilitating more advanced training, such as: Aircraft Rescue; Firefighter Level 2; and High Angle 2. High-angle rescue involves recovering and rescuing accident victims from heights and slopes. The provider has also grown in the management space and built itself up in a market in which it had never been involved.”

North West and Gauteng

Harmony Gold Mining Company (HGM): Mponeng mine near Carletonville, Moab Khotsong mine near Orkney, Kusasalethu mine near Klerksdorp, and Doornkop mine near Krugersdorp. In 2020, AngloGold Ashanti sold four mines to HGM:

1. Mponeng near Carletonville

2. Moab Khotsong near Orkney

3. Kusasalethu near Klerksdorp

4. Doornkop near Krugersdorp

HGM identified Maponya 911, a 100% black-owned and managed ambulance company, as the HDSA provider in the area. In keeping with its commitment to uplift and support local providers, ER24 awarded 100% of the management of ambulance and staff on the Doornkop site to Maponya 911. It retained Mponeng and Moab Khotsong mines as 100% ER24 projects.

“Maponya 911 was previously an urban, road-based ambulance service,” Egger explains. “It is now receiving coaching and mentoring in an industrial environment, which aligns with and supports ER24’s transformation goals, as well as the client’s ESD requirements. With this model, we have once again successfully delivered training, upliftment, skills development, coaching, mentoring, and branch management oversight – including Peter [Van der  Merwe’s] management oversight and assistance. We’ve also shared our training department, clinical department, operations support structures in the region, and every other component that makes up the duty of care on those sites.”

Van der Merwe says he’s worked closely with Maponya 911 to reach a level where its key performance indicators (KPIs) are starting to bear fruit. “At Kusasalethu, we were able to subcontract the surface operations intermediate life support ambulance and basic life support medics to Maponya 911,” he explains. “ER24 retained the underground medic support component. ER24’s base manager at Mponeng has an advanced life support managerial oversight into the Doornkop and Kusasalethu gold mining environment.”

Working side by side means contributing to the positive impact these initiatives have on upliftment and employment opportunities in the community.

Limpopo

After successfully managing EMS at Platreef mine in Mokopane, Limpopo for more than two years, ER24 is ready for the next step.

“We continue to support ER24’s commitment to transformation and are proud to say that a local provider in Mokopane will take over patient transport. This means when an on-site incident occurs, ER24 paramedics prepare the patient for handover to the local provider for transport to a medical facility. It also shows that we’re invested in empowering smaller entities, says Egger.”

In these subcontracting models, ER24 works only with designated service providers (DSPs) who are accredited by ER24 to be 100% industry compliant. “It is vital that all DSPs meet the requirements of the EMS Act, Mine Health and Safety Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act to ensure our clients receive the best possible care and that we help them meet all other relevant governing legislation,” Egger says.