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MEDICAL HISTORY A Short History The South African Medical Service (SAMS) was established as a full service branch of the SADF in 1979 to consolidate the medical services of the army, the navy, and the air force. The SAMS cosnsited of full-time army medical personnel, civilian employees of the Ministry of Defence, and qualified national service personnel on active duty. Reservists from the Citizen Force and from the Commandos were sometimes assigned to short-term active duty in the SAMS, as well. The military employed roughly 400 medical doctors, and private medical specialists were sometimes appointed to supplement the staff of the SAMS.The surgeon general heads the SAMS and has the rank of lieutenant general. The SAMS operational units included four hospitals--the First Military Hospital near Pretoria, the Second Military Hospital at Cape Town, and the Third Military Hospital at Bloemfontein and the Fourth Military Hospital at Walvisbay in Namibia (SOUTH WEST AFRICA) There were also three specialized institutes--the Institute for Aviation Medicine, the Institute for Maritime Medicine, and the Military Psychological Institute. They provided comprehensive medical care for military personnel and their dependents, as well as the police and employees of other security-related government departments, and occasionally to neighboring countries. The SAMS also provided occasional veterinary services for animals (mainly horses and dogs) used by the security services. The Institute for Aviation Medicine and the Institute for Maritime Medicine screen pilot candidates for the air force and for civilian aviation certification, as well as divers and submariners for the navy. The military's medical services also include general medical and dental care, and specialized rehabilitation services.
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