Roodepoort base sees historic launch of 24-hour advanced life support ambo
It is the first ambulance of its kind to be launched in South Africa for the Netcare 911 group.
Netcare 911 has launched the it’s first-ever 24-hour advanced life support ambulance, which could potentially shorten the waiting period for advanced life support to reach the scene of an accident.
Typically, if advanced life support is required at the scene of an accident, the ambulance on scene has to radio back to base, which has to then send out another vehicle with advanced life support equipment. This could all be a thing of the past however, as Netcare 911 has officially launched this special support ambulance along with the first-ever graduates of Netcare’s Diploma in Emergency Medical Care.
Netcare’s Diploma in Emergency Medical Care is a new two-year course that has only just seen it first group of graduates. Three of the four, Damian Wyatt, Kristen Bent, and Dylan van Staden graduated from the Netcare Faculty of Emergency and Critical Care in Midrand.
The new four-person crew works 12-hour shifts with two advanced life support paramedics on duty at a time. The ambulance from which they will be operating is equipped with advanced life support equipment that will drastically decrease the waiting time for advanced life support at the scene of an accident.
The crew and their new ambulance won’t simply be sent to any and every accident or incident, however. “They will only be sent out to select cases that meet specific criteria that require advanced life support,” said Netcare Roodepoort Operations Manager, David Barry.
The graduates of the two-year diploma are also qualified rescuers, as the diploma included a course on rescue operations. Anybody can qualify for the diploma, as long as they have university exemption after matric and meet specific criteria in mathematics, physical sciences, and life sciences.
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