GEMINI Medical team completes EMT training

Oct 13, 2012 News

Several persons who were trained in the field of Emergency Medical Response are now being given the responsibility of spearheading future EMT trainings. This is being done as the GEMINI medical team wraps up its well received project, and head back to the United States.
GEMINI is an overseas-based body with a “Global Emergency Medical Initiative”, which is dedicated to teaching and training persons in emergency response in the simplest way. Sixty-seven persons have been fully trained and qualified so far. The trainings are being conducted at the Project Dawn building at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

Some of the trainees pose with trainer, Ron Morris (right)

Other terms used to denote these healthcare providers of emergency medical services, include ambulance driver, ambulance orderly, ambulance attendant and ambulance man or woman.
The precise meaning of the term varies by jurisdiction, but in many countries, Emergency Medical Technicians, or First Responders, respond to emergency calls, perform certain medical procedures, and transport patients to hospital in accordance with protocols and guidelines established by physicians or medical directors.
EMTs are trained to assess a patient’s condition, and to perform emergency medical procedures as needed to maintain a patient’s airway with adequate breathing and cardiovascular circulation until the patient can be transferred to an appropriate destination for advanced medical care.
Interventions include cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, controlling severe external bleeding, preventing shock, body immobilization to prevent spinal damage, and splinting of bone fractures.
Timothy Redding, the leader of the overseas-based training group, told Kaieteur News that he is confident that the newly qualified Guyanese trainers will be able to efficiently continue where the GEMINI group has left off.
When asked, Redding noted that he feels very much appreciated, adding that “the students here seem to be very enthusiastic about wanting to learn and gain the material.”
The GEMINI group has trained three separate batches so far; the first course started in January, after which there was another in May, and the final started during September last to date.
During this, Redding explained that contact with the Ministry of Health has been difficult. However, he posited that the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has been on board and supportive from the inception of the project.
Some of the other medical entities include the Diamond Diagnostic Centre and the Davis Memorial Hospital, among others.
Juliet Herod, one of the present trainees, told Kaieteur News that prior to the training, she would pass injured people on the streets, since despite being a nurse, she had no proper knowledge of emergency response. After just a couple of days in training, Herod said she feels prepared enough to be a first responder.
John Allen, a nurse at the Georgetown Public Hospital said that he is very appreciative of the opportunity provided by the GEMINI group.
He explained that the group has been extremely professional, and very helpful to each student.
“They are much more resourced than we are and they have been very good to us. A book which may take us months to read, took the GEMINI team one week to teach us. And it sticks,” Allen said.
The man also took the opportunity to call on the government to take a closer look at the programme, and to fully implement it. He added that even if this is not done, he will use the experience for his personal benefit and for the benefit of the GPHC.
Allen added that he is eager to apply his experience as a trained Emergency Medical Responder (EMT).
(Rehana Ashley Ahamad)