The Emergency Care Institute (ECI) of South Africa is the training arm of the Division of Emergency Medicine of the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University. The Institute plans to cover all essential aspects of emergency medicine, including education and training and outreach into other African countries (already including Botswana, Madagascar and Uganda).
The ECI is a “Not-for-Profit” organisation. All proceeds feed back into the Division of Emergency Medicine to promote the Speciality.
History of Emergency Medicine
The Division of Emergency Medicine was formed in 2001, but Emergency Medicine only became recognised as a speciality by the Health Professions Council of South Africa in March 2003. In May 2004 the College of Emergency Medicine was founded by the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.
As the first division to develop, the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University became the first South African universities to offer a joint Master of Medicine (MMed) degree in Emergency Medicine, and the first registrars started in their posts in January 2004. To date, over 20 have graduated the 4-year training programme.
The most recent additions have been a MPhil programme currently available in two streams, Emergency Medicine and African Emergency Medicine, as well as the PhD programme.
The Division is committed to the education and training of specialist registrars who are supported by a formal academic programme, a mentoring programme, an ongoing evaluation system and final examination preparation support. Undergraduate students at both universities are exposed to emergency medicine teaching. Emergency ultrasound proficiency has become a requirement for the final exit examination and an emergency ultrasound rotation has been developed this year supported by a VLE component.
These are proving to be exciting times for emergency medicine in the region, and this emerging speciality is fast becoming a vital foundation for health care in South Africa.
The ECI seeks to hold and bolster ties with the other organisations, strengthening Emergency Medicine in South Africa as a whole, namely the Emergency Medicine Society of South Africa (EMSSA – www.emssa.org.za), the African Federation of Emergency Medicine (AFEM – www.afem.info) and its new African Journal of Emergency Medicine (AfJEM – www.afjem.com).
Payment Information
The ECI strives to provide a comprehensive offering of courses happening in and around Emergency Medicine. Unfortunately, occasionally unforeseen events necessitate the shifting or cancellation of courses, in which case we will endeavour to inform you in time and refund any monies already paid towards a course.
Some of the bigger courses and conferences are organised via UCT’s Conference Management Centre (CMC), while smaller events may be held by third parties or the ECI itself. The website will clearly state if an outside provider is organising an event.
Courses that are very popular will require advanced booking. Please be reminded that a booking is only secured on payment. Up to that point, the ECI will take bookings on a “first come, first served” basis.
A cancellation fee of 5% will be charged if a confirmed booking is cancelled more than 30 days from the start of a course. If you cancel within 30 calendar days of the course date, a 50% cancellation fee will be raised. If you cancel within 14 calendar days of the start of a course, no refund will be given, unless you are able to furnish us with substantial reasons for cancellation with documentary proof.
