There are currently two ways that a person can become a paramedic in South Africa but firstly it is important to understand what a Paramedic is.

Many people actually do not know what a paramedic is. The definition of a Paramedic in a South African context is more complex than the dictionary definition. In South Africa and many countries all over the world a Paramedic is a person who has successfully completed extensive training and examinations in Advanced Life Support (ALS) procedures and is registered with a health professional board of their country which allows them to practice those ALS procedures within the boundaries that the board sets out. In South Africa this statutory body is called the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

The two methods of becoming a paramedic are as follows (in no particular order):

1.) CCA Certificate Course: To be accepted on this ALS Certificate course a person will need to have qualified in two other short courses namely the Basic Ambulance Assistant course (which will qualify that person as an Emergency Care Practitioner - Basic) - a 3 week course; and then, after at least 6 months of practical training, that person can apply for the Ambulance Emergency Assistant Course (which will qualify them as an Emergency Care Practitioner - Intermediate) - a 2 month course. After doing about 1 to 2 years of practical work as an ECP-Intermediate that person can apply to do the Critical Care Assistant course (which will qualify them as an Emergency Care Practitioner - Advanced) – this final course is 9 months long. Once the student has successfully completed the 9 month CCA course and registered with the HPCSA that person will be allowed to call themselves a “paramedic”. This course is offered by some private emergency medical services and also by government ambulance training colleges.
However, the following statement released by the Professional Board for Emergency Care Practitioners (PBECB), and who fall under the HPCSA, should be remembered when applying for this certificate course:

“Will short courses be stopped and if so when? Yes, it is envisaged that the BAA, AEA and CCA courses will not remain in their present format. Short course training will only cease once a ‘new’ training and education system that meets the needs of existing BLS, ILS and ALS practitioners is available. Work groups for curriculum review of Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Life Support have been established. These work groups will within the next few months present the Board with a draft of the revised curricula and structure of emergency care training and education.”

2.) Tertiary Course: A person can also complete a 3 year National Diploma or 4 year Degree course in Emergency Medical Care offered by the Natal Technikon or the University of Johannesburg (www.uj.ac.za). A person who successfully completes this course will be able to register with the HPCSA as an Emergency Medical Care Practitioner (Paramedic). Enquiries can be made at these institutions for further information.

Which method of training is preferred is debatable but I will recommend going to a tertiary institute for Paramedic training.

Click HERE for an extensive list of accredited training institutions made available through the HPCSA.

I will suggest that a person who is interested in becoming a paramedic first do an OHSA and SETA approved first aid courses (up to Level 3) as an introduction to Emergency Medicine and then get involved as a volunteer in the Emergency Medical Services. For more information on First Aid Courses follow the “Need 1st Aid Training?” link on the RescueRoxy Website (www.rescueroxy.co.za) and download the document from Emergency Care Global (ECG).

Efforts have been made to ensure that the above information is as accurate as possible. However RescueRoxy and its associates cannot be held responsible for any misinformation. RescueRoxy and its associates advise all readers to access additional resources and opinions when considering the above information. Please feel free to forward any suggestions or corrections to a RescueRoxy representative via www.rescueroxy.co.za.