SANDF calls on healthcare practitioners to join military health service

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) called on registered healthcare practitioners to join forces with serving members in the South African Military Health Service (SAMHS) in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The operation is currently under way and is envisaged to continue until 23 June 2020,” SANDF said in a statement on Sunday.

The armed force said the SAMHS were looking to reinforce, regroup and strengthen its medical capacity in the wake of the national state of disaster declared by the commander-in-chief of the SANDF.

SANDF added that the matter was within the prescripts of lockdown regulations as stipulated in the Disaster Management Act of 2002, section 27, sub-section 2.

The armed force encouraged registered healthcare practitioners to apply including medical doctors, professional nurses, enrolled nurses, auxiliary nurses, clinical associates and operational emergency care practitioners (OECPs).

They urged interested candidates to contact the following SAMHS Directors for enlistment with contact details, ID number and registration number:

• Director Medicine at 012 367 9156
• Director Nursing at 012 367 9168
• Director Emergency Military Medical Care (EMMC) at 012 671 5005 (EMS with previous military service)
• Director Military Health Reserve at 012 671 5153.

“Prospective candidates are to report at the nearest Military Health unit upon receiving communication from the Reserve Force office,” the military health service said.