Mediclinic and ER24 have more than two decades of expertise in world-class race events.
This experience gives participants confidence about what to expect at the upcoming FNB Wines2Whales event. At every point along the route, your safety is in the best of hands, ensuring that each rider achieves their best possible outcome in the race.
Event Chief Medical Officer, Dr Darren Green, explains the approach to such events. “We have learned from operating across high-complexity events with very different risk profiles that preparedness must be tailored, measurable, and continuously refined.”
Planning is key
Understanding risk is key to successful plans. Tristan Manning, National Events Risk and Disaster Manager, explains, “I engage with the client to get a complete understanding of the event. This includes the location of the event, number of participants, participant profile, the route, dates and times and any historical patient data. With this information, I then overlay hospital locations, specialist availability, additional medical resources, historical weather data and any route-specific threats, which can include fire, access and egress routes and potential civil unrest. In addition, I refer to the medical requirements for the specific sporting discipline to ensure our medical provision aligns with its sporting code.”
For FNB Wines2Whales, the environmental conditions, such as heat or cold, pose a significant risk and can lead to trauma as a result of falls. These can be high- or low-speed, but can be complicated by vehicle access to the location or by weather conditions.
Both weather conditions and route times are large, complex problems. In planning to mitigate this risk, in addition to the specific medical planning, teams also coordinate with other entities involved in the event to mitigate the conditions. For example, where the location is difficult to find or access, the event organiser will provide us with additional resources, such as someone with detailed local knowledge of the area, to help the teams reach the patient via the fastest route. They may also assist in the evacuation, depending on the patient's condition, allowing the medics' sole focus to be on patient care. Additionally, in the event of adverse weather, the event organiser can prevent participants from becoming patients by adjusting the route, providing additional vehicles to evacuate uninjured participants from the elements or providing blankets/cooling and warm/cold fluids to drink.
“We also engage with external specialised services like aeromedical rescue and transport for critically injured patients in difficult to access areas or where patient extraction will be prolonged due to having to like the patient out to the nearest vehicle,” Manning details. “Previous events’ data gives us a snapshot of potential patient risks and loads based on various conditions. It provides a guide and helps identify potential risks.”
Pre-hospital remote expertise
Pre-hospital medical support for an event like FNB Wines2Whales is provided by a team of highly experienced ER24 medical professionals with extensive backgrounds in wilderness and remote-area medicine. Many team members have supported the event for multiple years and have in-depth knowledge of the terrain, route access points and the challenges of delivering care in mountainous environments.
According to Andre Bronkhorst, ER24 Specialised Medical Services National Manager, the medical team is carefully selected to ensure the capability to respond effectively along the entire route, including light rescue and patient stabilisation in difficult-to-access areas. This enables timely and appropriate pre-hospital care, regardless of the patient’s location or the nature of the incident.
He explains, “To maximise coverage and minimise response times, a layered deployment model is used. Strategically positioned 4x4 medical response vehicles provide access to remote areas, while off-road motorcycle medics patrol the route to enable rapid, agile responses where vehicle access is limited. Fixed medical teams are stationed at designated medical points and high-risk areas, supported by mobile teams that can respond dynamically as the event progresses.”
All resources operate under a central medical command structure through the Medical Operations Centre (MOP) within the Venue Operations Centre (VOC). Incidents are assessed in real time to determine location, severity and required response. The nearest and most appropriate medical team is deployed, with additional resources mobilised if necessary. Continuous communication ensures a coordinated response, patient assessment, stabilisation and, where required, evacuation or transfer to the race hospital or an appropriate medical facility.
Bronkhorst continues, “Medical teams are equipped to manage a wide range of medical and traumatic emergencies. Common incidents include musculoskeletal injuries, lacerations, abrasions, dehydration, heat-related illness and fatigue. More serious cases may involve fractures, head or spinal injuries, cardiac symptoms or altered levels of consciousness. Given the remote environment, teams are trained and equipped to provide prolonged pre-hospital care and perform light rescue until safe evacuation is possible.”
Access to riders is achieved through specialised resources, detailed route planning and experienced personnel familiar with the terrain. Where vehicles cannot reach, medical teams proceed on foot, carrying the necessary equipment to assess, stabilise and manage patients while coordinating further support.
Manning explains, “Medical assets are positioned along the route based on a number of factors, which include a comprehensive risk assessment that considers the terrain or location of the event, the number of participants, any historical incident data, route accessibility and anticipated response times. Medical resources are also deployed to provide concentric rings of cover, ensuring there are additional medical resources as a resource is used, thus maintaining suitable cover along the route.”
Riders can expect a consistently high standard of care which includes comprehensive assessment, advanced airway management and where indicated, haemorrhage control, fracture and spinal immobilisation, wound and pain management, cardiac care, and administration of emergency medications where clinically appropriate. Care is delivered in line with current clinical guidelines, regulations, and established protocols.
Decisions to treat on-site or transfer are based on a structured clinical assessment, in consultation with one of the qualified event doctors. Minor conditions may be managed on-site if the rider is stable, while patients requiring further investigation or specialist care are transferred to the race hospital or an appropriate healthcare facility. Serious cases are stabilised on scene before transport, and all transfers are coordinated through the Medical Operations Centre to ensure safe and appropriate patient care.
Fully equipped race hospital
Veronica Austin, clinic logistics co-ordinator for Mediclinic Corporate Events, assures participants that the Mediclinic Race Hospital is a purpose-built field hospital providing rapid, comprehensive medical care for all riders throughout the event. Staffed by Trauma and ICU-specialised Registered Nurses, together with Critical Care, Trauma and Sports Medicine specialists, the team brings decades of combined experience in sports medicine, emergency care and the acute management of medical conditions and traumatic injuries.
It comprises multiple treatment beds, a dedicated Intensive Care Unit with full life-support capability, a specialised wound care area, on-site ultrasound (sonar) and pathology services, and fully equipped resuscitation facilities. The layout enables efficient patient flow while ensuring appropriate care for every level of injury or illness.
The race hospital is equipped to manage the full spectrum of medical presentations, from primary healthcare, strapping and basic wound care to advanced wound management, fractures, soft tissue injuries, serious trauma, medical emergencies and full resuscitation. On-site ultrasound and pathology services enable rapid, evidence-based diagnosis and treatment.
Every patient is immediately assessed using the South African Triage Scale (SATS) to ensure rapid prioritisation by clinical urgency. Based on the assessment, patients are directed to the wound care unit, a treatment bed, or the ICU for advanced care.
The SATS triage system ensures that critically ill or injured patients receive immediate attention, while minor conditions are managed efficiently by dedicated clinical teams. This approach minimises waiting times and ensures medical resources remain available for emergencies.
Austin explains, “Our experienced multidisciplinary team uses streamlined assessment, diagnosis and treatment pathways adhering to best clinical practices. This allows for efficient patient management, shorter treatment times where appropriate, rapid bed turnover and sustained readiness for multiple simultaneous emergencies. Comprehensive surge protocols are in place to expand capacity during periods of increased demand.”
Both trauma and ICU Registered Nurses provide advanced clinical care, wound management and continuous patient monitoring, while specialist doctors lead assessment, diagnosis, emergency interventions and critical care. When required, patients are stabilised using gold-standard emergency medicine protocols and then transferred by the ER24 team to the most appropriate receiving hospital for definitive care.
Assurance of care
Dr Darren Green welcomes all riders to engage with the clinical team at the event. “Please don’t let a minor ailment become something more serious because you did not seek help. Our aim is to get you over the finish line safely.
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