Mr. Dirk van der Walt

Mr. Dirk van der Walt is an Emergency Care Practitioner and Flight Paramedic based in the United Arab Emirates, with extensive experience in prehospital, aeromedical and critical care medicine.

A graduate of the four- year Bachelor of Emergency Medical Care programme in South Africa, Dirk has practised as an independently registered Emergency Care Practitioner since the early stages of his career. His clinical background spans high-acuity prehospital emergency care, helicopter emergency medical services, helicopter search and rescue, interfacility critical care transport, and fixed-wing aeromedical retrieval.

He currently works within the UAE’s aeromedical and search-and-rescue environment, serving operationally as a Flight ACP on missions ranging from primary HEMS and rescue operations to complex interfacility transfers in austere and resource-constrained environments.

Dirk has a particular clinical interest in resuscitation and critical care in austere environments, where time, resources, access and distance can significantly influence clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. His additional interests include neonatal and paediatric critical care, clinical systems development, and aviation medicine.

Alongside his operational role, Dirk is actively involved in education and clinical systems development, with a focus on translating advanced critical care and resuscitation principles into safe, practical and effective care in the prehospital and aeromedical environment.