Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Mar 06, 2017 News
– Director of the Accident and Emergency Unit
First responders to an accident scene may be doing more harm than good to the victims they attempt to rescue.
This is the contention of many, including Director of the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Dr. Zulfikar Bux.
He reminded that one of the basic rules of assisting an injured person, is to avoid moving them until trained responders arrive. In many parts of the world, road accidents are simultaneously responded to by the police, the ambulance service and firefighters.
But that’s often not the case in developing Guyana.
Often times, ranks of the Guyana Police Force are the first officials on the scene of an accident, and in many cases, most commonly the ones involving less than three people, they fail to summon the assistance of an ambulance.
Without doing any proper assessment at the scene, police officers would sometimes haphazardly remove an injured person, lifting the victim into the tray of their pickups as they take them to hospital.
Other times, they would act as mere spectators, while untrained members of the public, armed with good intentions, do pretty much the same.
But as Dr. Bux explained, this lack of caution can have tragic consequences. Even though the injured person or persons may arrive faster to a medical institution, the unprofessional handling of an accident victim can result in them sustaining further injuries. Many of these can lead to a life-long disability, or even death.
Traffic Chief, Dion Moore told Kaieteur News that basic preparation training for the Guyana Police Force requires that ranks be trained in administering First Aid care.
But according to Dr. Bux, even what the police force is currently teaching cannot solve the problem. Asked whether there have been instances where the lack of training of ranks has resulted in an injured person eventually dying, Dr. Bux said: “We can’t call it negligence if they are not trained to properly respond to accidents. They had a little thing that was done as part of their curriculum, but (that was) first aid training just basically to deal with cuts and bruises and so on.”
Even if this is found to be the case, police officers, like public spirited citizens, are protected by the Good Samaritan Act. This generally means that basic legal protection is afforded those who assist a person who is injured or in danger. In essence, these laws protect the “Good Samaritan” from liability if unintended consequences result from their assistance.
In the case of traffic ranks, though, Dr. Bux said that a need for training has already been recognised, and so far, approximately 100 ranks have undergone more extensive First Responder training that would enable them to more effectively lend assistance to those injured as a result of an accident.
“We are training some more persons as well,” Dr. Bux pointed out.
Traffic Chief Moore had said that police officers have always been taught how to do make much with whatever resources they have access to. However, in many cases, traffic policemen show up at accident scenes, acting as mere spectators as untrained civilians handle the injured.
The most recent instance of this happening was during the hit and run accident which claimed the life of 40-year-old Roopesh Ramotar of Houston, East Bank Demerara.
This newspaper was present when police officers showed up at La Grange Public Road, West Bank Demerara scene. Two to three ranks simply stood around watching as public spirited citizens hauled and tugged at the injured Ramotar. Nobody, at that time could confirm whether the man was dead, or alive.
This is just one of the many cases that leave loved ones wondering if the outcome would’ve been different, had police officers exercised caution and follow protocol by carefully removing the injured person, or calling and waiting until an ambulance arrives.
Because vehicular accidents are so very common, it is likely that almost every Guyanese above the age of 10 may have witnessed one; be it a mere fender bender, or a horrific multi-vehicular smash up. In the case of the latter, there are a few basic steps that every Good Samaritan should follow.
HOW TO HELP
First and foremost, a call should be placed to emergency services. This can be followed by ensuring there are no threats of an explosion. It is important to examine the scene for fuel flowing, fire, smoke, or exposed wires. If this is the case, a Good Samaritan may be better off waiting for the arrival of professionals.
Online tips suggest that the victim should then be approached calmly and carefully, so as to not send the already injured person into a panic that can cause further grievances. A ‘Good Samaritan’ is advised to specifically ask the victim if he or she requires assistance, providing they are conscious. This was explained as being an important step, since not every accident victim may want help, even if it appears the person needs it. A ‘Good Samaritan’ may even be subjected to legal action if he or she proceeds to assist an injured person who refused their help.
One very important point to remember is that many injuries are not visible, so it is usually advised to avoid moving an injured person until emergency services arrive, unless of course, their life is threatened by something like a possible explosion.
The next step is to ensure that the victim, if unconscious, is breathing. If not, CPR may be needed. If a Good Samaritan does not know how to perform CPR, he or she is advised against even attempting to, since it can cause the victim more injuries.
Rolling the victim on to his or her side is recommended to protect their airway. If an attempt to do this is being made, it is important to make sure that the person’s neck is properly supported to protect or prevent injury. Good Samaritans can also assist in bandaging a person’s injuries in the case of severe bleeding.
All in all, it is generally advised that persons avoid handling an injured person, until an ambulance or some professional arrive to give medical assistance.
Meanwhile, Former Health Minister, Dr. George Norton had recognised that not enough persons have been making use of the ambulance services that are available. This prompted the setting up of an Emergency Medical Service Unit, which will see ambulances being stationed at the Central Fire Station at Stabroek, Alberttown, Diamond and Mon Repos Fire Stations, along with Emergency Medical Technicians available on a 24-hour basis.
But, it is the coordinated response to accidents that now needs careful attention.
Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
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