Emergency medicine in South Africa – time to catch up

Abstract

The recent development of emergency medicine in South Africa (SA) provides a shining example of how much can be achieved by so few when passion and vision are combined with a commitment to improving patient care. Maturation of the specialty in countries such as Australia has embedded the role of emergency physicians in clinical niches where it would seem unnatural, inappropriate and even unsafe to place doctors with alternative training. As British and Australian emergency physicians who recently enjoyed the privilege of a study tour around SA, we were impressed and bewildered by aspects of SA's emergency care. We observed care in 6 hospitals and 2 pre-hospital systems in 3 major cities and a rural town. We offer our perspectives, not as experts or superiors, but as outsiders free from political allegiance or local institutional affiliation.