Military medics aim to do more with less

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Yet another indicator of the tough financial times the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) is operating in comes from the SA Military Health Services (SAMHS). It will be running this year’s research and academic conference under the banner “doing more with less: overcoming obstacles to service delivery”.

The medical arm of service, now under the leadership of Lieutenant General Aubrey Sedibe, has its stated aim to become a world class clinical service. This goal will come under the microscope during the conference scheduled for the last quarter of this year.

To stimulate interest and contributions, a call has been made for abstracts and poster presentations on the provision of healthcare in the military environment.

With the stated objective of providing an overview of the specific challenges involved for military healthcare professionals, 16 topics have been suggested for those wanting to participate.

These include best practices (clinical protocols); methods to transform outpatient clinics; healthcare innovations; the integration of services; informatics; the use of technology; procurement and distribution challenges and solutions; improvement in the wellness of members; mental health; methods to engage patients in their own care; human resource management including task shifting; ethno-cultural diversity; quality assurance; strengthening healthcare services; ethical guidelines; telemedicine and mobile technology for deployments.

Enquiries can be directed to the head of military health research, Colonel LCD Naidoo at either 012-484-2738 or [email protected]