Don’t let a patient get in the way of a good rescue! We have all heard this saying before. Fortunately this is very far from the truth, as the patient is the reason for the rescue....
In preparation for the exercise the students had to do an assignment in which they had to plan for their “deployment”. The students had to draw up their camp plan, make a list of all the equipment needed, and also draw up a food menu for the duration of the mission. To make it realistic, one of the assignments was used as the basis for the exercise and the students had to use the information in the assignment for the camp setup and food menu.
Figure 1: Students setting up the camp area
After setting up the camp area the “hurry-up-and-wait” started. Students were divided into two groups of eight, one working shift from 12h00 until 00h00 and the other working from 00h00 until 12h00.
The first scenario that was given to the students was for two victims trapped under fallen concrete. A high fidelity Advance Life Support manikin was used as the patient so that students could treat the patient as realistic as possible. The students had to triage the two patients and treat them appropriately before lifting the concrete to release. Once removed the students had to transport the patients to the base camp where treatment continued in the medical tent.
Figure 2: Students treating one of the patients trapped under concrete before lifting the concrete
Figure 3: Students moving the trapped patient via ambulance to the medical tent at the base for further treatment
From there various taskings were given to the students to ensure that they stay busy – similar to a real life scenario. This included for example mapping of a search area and then conducting the actual search. Once a patient was found the necessary treatment was initiated.
Figure 4: Students treating one of four patients found after searching the building. This particular patient suffered from a fractured femur.
Figure 5: Students making use of an infrared camera to search for the four victims in the building.
During the night the students had to continue to search for victims. This was done in buildings that was considered “unstable” and the students had to shore and stabilize the building before they could continue the search.
Figure 6: Students shoring an unstable entrance.
Figure 7: Students making use of T-spot shoring as they move through a building to look for victims.
Other rescue disciplines were also integrated into the 48-hour exercise as this event was the last major exercise that the students did during the 4 year BEMC programme. A simulated high angle scenario was given to the students for a patient who was hit by a rock while absailing. The simulated rock fall was caused by an “aftershock” earthquake hitting Gwara-Gwara. The students had to respond to the area where the patient was, perform a pick-off and then treat the patient. The patient then had to be moved to the waiting ambulance.
Figure 8: Students moving to the patient stuck on a cliff.
Figure 9: A student going down to the patient to do the pick-off.
In the afternoon the students had another scenario that involved a vehicle with 3 passengers that lost control during an “aftershock” and went off an embankment. Again the students had to respond to the call, triage the patients and rescue them. The patients were real-life actors and the students had to treat them as realistic as possible. Once extricated from the vehicle the patients had to be moved up the steep slope to the ambulance.
Figure 10: A student going down to the vehicle with extrication equipment.
The following night the search for victims continued. Early in the evening the students had to deal with a hazardous materials (hazmat) scenario.
Figure 11: Student preparing to enter a hazmat environment
After the hazmat scenario the students had to search through a pile of rubble for possible victims. They found a victim trapped under rubble by making use of an audible search. They further made use of a search camera to see how the victim was positioned under the rubble and then had to make use of a “step cut” to gain access through concrete to the victim. Once they made contact with the victim, treatment commenced and the victim was moved to the base camp medical tent for further treatment.
Figure 12: Students using a search cam to look for the victim under the pile of rubble.
Figure 13: A student cutting through concrete to gain access to the victim.
The next morning the rescue mission was concluded. The camp was packed up and everyone returned to their “home country” after a challenging 48 hours in “Gwara-Gwara”.
Figure 14: Group photo of the students with their lecturers while on the rescue mission in Gwara-Gwara
Source: Kindly provided by Mr. Rudi Menkveld
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