Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

​

1. What happens if I don't have a ROCKET Connect membership? 

You'll still have access to emergency medical assistance through ROCKET HEMS, regardless of whether you have medical aid. In a medical emergency, we coordinate the most appropriate response based on your clinical condition and the circumstances of the emergency. This may include: 

• Dispatch of an authorised private EMS ambulance service for emergency medical assistance and transport. 

• Activation of the ROCKET HEMS helicopter, where you meet the required clinical flight criteria and air transport is appropriate. 

If you don't have medical aid or other private hospital cover, you'll be transported to the closest appropriate government healthcare facility capable of providing the required care. 

​

2. What services do you offer? 

ROCKET Connect is a comprehensive EMS solution that ensures the appropriate medical resources are dispatched during a medical emergency, whether by ground or air, based on clinical necessity. ROCKET handles prehospital care in medical emergencies, bypassing the pre-authorisation typically required by medical aid administrators to avoid delays and ensure immediate assistance is dispatched. 

​

3. How does the service work? 

Once registered, members can access emergency assistance through the Panic App, WhatsApp (087 288 5555), or by calling 0860 354 448 (0860 FLIGHT) in the event of a medical emergency. 

A single call or Panic App activation connects you to our 24/7 Emergency Management Centre, which manages every stage of the response, from the moment assistance is requested through hospital admission. This includes: ​

• 24/7 emergency call handling and medical assessment, with our on-call medical team assessing each case and dispatching the appropriate resources without delay 

• Telephonic emergency medical consultation and guidance 

• Immediate incident coordination and case management 

• Dispatch of the most appropriate emergency response, including:  

• An authorised road ambulance, or 

• An ICU-equipped helicopter, subject to flight activation criteria 

• Panic App functionality, including real-time location sharing, emergency updates, and notifications to designated family members 

• Immediate on-scene care upon arrival by highly trained emergency medical personnel, including advanced life support paramedics and doctors, and in the case of an air transfer, 

• Transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility 

• Continuous monitoring and coordination throughout the transfer 

• Ongoing updates and support during hospital admission 

 

4. ROCKET Connect Terms & Conditions 

• You can find the link to the terms and conditions on our website here:

  • https://www.rockethems.co.za/rocket-connect-terms-and-conditions  

​

5. How does dispatching work? 

Our experienced, qualified, and professional Emergency Management Centre team decides the best course of action for the patient's care based on their assessment of the evolving situation. This includes deciding whether to dispatch an ambulance or a helicopter (based on flight criteria), or whether medical advice should be given telephonically. 

 

6. What is the ROCKET flight criteria? 

Our ROCKET flight criteria determines when helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) should be activated, based on the following: 

​

The Big Shift:

ROCKET's emergency care decision-making moves away from diagnosis-specific criteria (automatically flying all car accidents, all strokes) to situation-specific criteria, focused on what actually improves the outcome and protects patient safety, not just what the diagnosis is.

​

The 4 core assessment criteria: 

• Acuity (is the patient critically ill) 

• Progressiveness (is the condition worsening quickly) 

• Consequence (is there a real risk of death or disability if care is delayed) 

• Time benefit (would air transport meaningfully save time compared to ground transport) 

 

Value add over road transport:

Flying only makes sense if it offers a specific time, skill, or access benefit over ground transport. Within a 70km radius, air transport is often not faster than a road ambulance unless factors like difficult terrain, limited access or entrapment, traffic congestion, or specialised clinical equipment are involved. 

 

Resource and skill limitations:

A flight is justified if the ground or hospital team has limitations regarding the skills, equipment, or bed availability required for that specific patient, particularly for interfacility transfers involving time-critical conditions like stroke, STEMI, polytrauma, or vascular injury. 

​

Definitive care over proximity:

The strategy prioritises access to definitive care over simply reaching the closest facility. 

​

7. Who does my membership include? 

Through our VKB partnership, VKB and ROCKET offer a ROCKET Connect membership to all VKB and VKB Subsidiary employees. Your membership is for you individually, through your VKB employment, and does not include family members or dependants. 

 

8. How can I add more members? 

Yes. You can purchase up to 20 additional seats for dependants and family members directly on the platform. You do not need to purchase a seat for yourself, as you are already a member. Purchase seats here: https://connect.rockethems.co.za/seats 

 

9. Where can I download the Panic App? 

The Panic App can be downloaded from the App Store on iPhone, the App Gallery on Huawei, or the Google Play Store on Android. Here are the links to the relevant stores: 

• Apple: https://apps.apple.com/za/app/rocket-connect-panic/id6795967875 

• Playstore & Huawei: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=za.co.rockethems.rocketconnect&hl=en_ZA 

 

10. Where can I manage my membership and profile details? 

If you have a membership through a third-party partnership with ROCKET Connect, you'll need to reach out to them directly to change your details. 

​

11. Do I need to activate my membership? 

No. Memberships provided through your subscription partner are activated automatically. 

 

12. Can my membership expire? 

Yes. Your membership period depends on your subscription partner's arrangement with ROCKET Connect. Check the ROCKET Connect Portal to see how long your existing membership is valid for. If your subscription partner does not renew your membership with us, you can do so directly on your own account, using the ROCKET portal. 

 

13. My details are reflecting incorrectly on my ROCKET Connect profile 

Please speak directly to your partner and ask them to change the relevant details. If you're unsure how to reach them, we can do so for you via email and CC you in. Contact ROCKET Customer Care on +27 87 158 1589 or customercare@rockethems.co.za