South African Medical Service


The South African Medical Service was a branch of the South African Defence Force. In 1994 when the SADF was merged with various other military and armed resistance forces as part of the post-apartheid reforms the SAMS became the South African Military Health Service of the South African National Defence Force. The SAMS operated three hospitals, 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria, 2 Military Hospital in Cape Town, and 3 Military Hospital in Bloemfontein. It also had three specialist institutes; the Institute for Aviation Medicine, the Institute for Maritime Medicine, and the Military Psychological Institute.

History

The SA Defence Act Amendment Act, No. 22 of 1922 re-organised the Permanent Force. From 1 February 1923 the Permanent Force consisted a number of Corps, including the SA Medical Corps.
By that time three Medical Corps were already in existence, the Transvaal Medical Corps, the Natal Volunteer Medical Corps and the Cape Medical Staff Corps.
Over the years, the following Corps formed part of the South African Army:
  • SA Veterinary Corps - incorporated into SA Medical Corps
  • SA Medical Corps - incorporated into South African Medical Service
  • SA Military Nursing Service
  • SA Military Nursing Corps - ''incorporated into SAMS''

Organisation of Medical Corps in 1970s

In the late 1970's before the establishment of the South African Medical Service as an independent Arm of Service, the SA Army's Medical Corps' mobile elements were organised as follows:
Assigned to 1 SA Corps:
Assigned to 7 South African Infantry Division:
  • 17 Mobile Hospital, and
  • 17 Field Ambulance Unit,
as divisional troops,
while each brigade
had assigned a field ambulance unit.
Assigned to 8th Armoured Division (South Africa):
as divisional troops, while each brigade had assigned a
field ambulance unit.
The SAMS was established in July 1979 as a service branch of the SADF. The establishment combined the medical services of the Army, Navy and the Air Force. The head of the SAMS was the Surgeon-General who had the rank of Lieutenant-General. The role of the SAMS was to provide health and medical support services to the SADF, it included a veterinary section that looked after dogs and horses.

Ranks

;Officers