South Africa, once considered The Rainbow Nation, doesn’t seem as colourful of late. Over the past few months, the nation has been on a rollercoaster of emotions from celebrating the end of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, to facing hardships caused by fires, flooding and load-shedding.
Wallets are tighter and economic uncertainty has taken over conversations; however, South Africans are resilient and will always find a way to get through the toughest of times. This was the thinking behind EMERGIVAC, a company forged out of the need for affordable and reliable medical care for emergencies. “We needed to help South Africans during their time of need, with a solution that is affordable and that facilitates the best possible response when faced with an emergency,” says EMERGIVAC CEO, Dion Dalais.
Emergencies are never a welcomed thought especially when life is going well, however, they invariably happen when least expected. Finding good medical care could cost a small fortune – less than 20% of the population have private medical insurance. This is the hopeless reality for most South Africans as there are currently only two types of medical insurance categories available, namely hospital plans and comprehensive medical aid. Costs for these range from about R5,000 to R19,000 per month for the typical family.
Insurance is a a grudge purchase that many cannot afford and with the median wage at under R4,000 per month medical insurance becomes completely unfeasible for the vast majority.
Individuals in a higher income bracket, are committed to expensive medical insurance options – whilst in tandem saddled with high debt and inflationary expenses leaving them with less disposable income. “When faced with an emergency, those without medical insurance may be turned away and not admitted into hospital as fees are asked for upfront. EMERGIVAC ensures that this does not happen – and it could mean the difference between life and death,” says Dalais.
EMERGIVAC aims to bridge the gap for individuals and families who seek assistance during an emergency – whether by way of accident or illness. Individual cover starts from R249 per month, with the most expensive cover costing just R559 per month for a family of five (2 adults and 3 children) – no matter your income bracket. The benefits for this includes helicopter evacuation, emergency medical and trauma assist, guaranteed private hospital admission, roadside and household assist, armed response, and many other benefits.
“Our economy is in turmoil and the divide between the haves and have-not’s is growing. EMERGIVAC is one way we can impact lives in a positive way. It’s the starting point to creating an equal and more sustainable future for South Africans, and we hope many more companies will follow suit in our goal for a better South Africa,” comments Dalais.
For more Information about EMERGIVAC, visit www.emergivac.co.za or call 010 745 7460
ENDS