Welcome to the Lungisa Foundation website! The Lungisa Foundation is a South African Non-Profit Company formed with the goal of supporting the Emergency Medical Services in Africa.
African Solutions for African Problems
The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Africa vary incredibly. In some areas patients are served by well-equipped ambulances staffed by highly trained paramedics. In other areas patients are transported by family members in wheelbarrows. EMS in Africa faces many challenges; some are similar to those of first world countries, some are common with other developing nations and some are unique.These challenges include:
- Shortage of vehicles, trained staff and equipment
- Inappropriate vehicles for patient needs and terrain
- Poor matching of available resources to patient requirements (triage)
The solutions to these problems in some places (where hospital is five minutes away and there is an effective primary healthcare system) may not be appropriate in an African context.
Our Name and Logo
The word 'lungisa' is an isiXhosa and isiZulu word meaning 'fix' or 'mend'. We know we can't fix all the problems in African EMS but we are confident that we can make a positive change! Our logo contains three elements: the continent where we work, our name and the Star of Life, the internationally-used symbol of EMS that began as a certification mark for United States ambulances.
