M A Y 2 0 1 2 • S A S O L D I E R - Department of Defence

Proud to serveour nation2009 - 2011 review of defenceS A S O L D I E RArticle and photos by Capt SelloSegone, Editor MilmedThe ruby berets of the SAMilitary Health Service(SAMHS) have become aknown and welcome sightover the years as part of thehealth care system and lately insupport of world-class events, such asthe 2010 Soccer World Cup.The “angels of mercy”, as they werenicknamed by the media during thehealth care professionals labour actionat government hospitals, have since2009 been deployed to numeroushospitals to assist the Department ofHealth to protect the most vulnerableand make sure they receive the bestpossible medical care when others arefailing them.In 2009 the groundbreaking Directiveon the Health Classification andDeployability of SANDF Memberswith HIV and AIDS was approved.The implementation of the HIVpolicy had the following benefits andoutcomes for serving soldiers and theSANDF:• There is currently a uniformapproach to the healthclassification of all SANDF soldiersand new recruits presenting withcertain chronic medical conditions,including HIV and AIDS.• It also allows for the optimalselection of soldiers for theoperational requirements of theSANDF, per health and post profile,so that they can be trained andutilised in the interests of both theindividual and the SANDF.• The policy has also made provisionfor an increase in the total numberof deployable soldiers and forprepared and supported militaryhealth capabilities, services andfacilities to support these soldierswhere reasonable and possible.ABOVE: SA Military Health Servicemembers were deployed at the Chris HaniBaragwanath Hospital during OperationProsper.The content has been made availableto the United Nations and theAfrican Union as the applied protocoland guidelines for the operationaldeployment of SA Peacekeeping Forces.The SAMHS also showed its mettleduring the 2010 Soccer World CupABOVE: MsLindiwe Sisulu,the Minister ofDefence andMilitary Veterans,on a conferencecall to the OrlandoStadium duringthe 2010 SoccerWorld Cup, withCol Dave McNelly, OfficerCommanding ofSAMHS HQ.by providing highly developedtechnological support from itsNational Health Operations Centre inCenturion to all the stadiums involvedin this spectacular event. This waswidely recognised as a world-classfacility providing medical support ontime and to the right place.M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 39