A basic lSupport training course was conducted by the Wellington Free Ambulance Service which visited Gizo hospital recently.
The course was conducted from the 15th to the 17th of May and was attended by nurses, ambulance drivers, OBM drivers and security officers from Gizo hospital.
Nurses also travelled from Seghe, Koriovuku and Vonunu for the training.
The training included first aid management of patients, chest compressions and the use of a defibrillator.
The course also focused on extraction of patients to the ambulance and safe transfer of patients to the hospital.
Participants enjoyed the training and now are better equipped to deal with medical emergencies.
The course also attracted the attention of the community when training was conducted in the ambulance with lights and sirens going.
Gizo hospital currently has a 24 hour ambulance service that attends to patients being transferred by boat from other villages and also attends to local emergencies.
The ambulance, which was donated by Wellington Free Ambulance Service in 2013, is state-of-the-art and staffed by well-trained drivers.
This year the Free Ambulance Service has donated an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), which is a device that delivers electrical shocks to patients who have had a heart attack. It is anticipated that this device can be used to save lives in the future.
The coordinators would like to thank Vanessa Simpson and Benjamin Wylie-Cheer for instructing the course, and hope that they will come back next year.
Acknowledged was also given to Gizo Hospital and particularly the Provincial Health Director Dr Greg Jilini for allocating funds for the course.
The training days were a huge success and we look forward to running more training workshops this year.
By Christina Qalo
Nurse Educator
Gizo Hospital
