Health services can be stretched in emergencies and often the first people to arrive at the scene of a serious incident in rural and regional areas are members of the local community.
Nutrien Ag Solutions and CareFlight last week hosted a unique education workshop in Bairnsdale, which aims to upskill those working in the agriculture sector with emergency trauma skills.
To date, more than 100 workshops have been delivered to more than 100 communities rural and regional communities across Australia, and this year more than 70 agricultural communities will receive the emergency trauma training.
CareFlight chief executive officer Mick Frewen said what happens in the first few minutes after an accident can mean the difference between life and death for patients.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to partner with Nutrien Ag Solutions to deliver this dedicated training for the agriculture sector. We know what a huge difference it can make to saving lives and building resilience in regional communities right across Australia,” Mr Frewen said.
Brad Obst, Bairnsdale Nutrien brand manager, said nothing is more important than safety, especially when working in agriculture.
“The ultimate goal through this initiative with CareFlight is to empower people working in ag with lifesaving skills and confidence to respond in an appropriate way should the occasion arise,” Obst said.
“The workshop was a great opportunity to learn new skills, share our own experiences, and make a commitment to prioritising safety every day.”
CareFlight acting head of education and training, Tariq Sappideen, said the trauma care training arms participants with all the essential skills to help them respond if they are ever first on the scene of an incident.
“Our team use lifelike medical manikins, simulated accident scenarios and specially-designed simulation equipment to create a high-pressure, hands-on environment, ensuring the training is realistic and applicable to their normal work and life environments,” Sappideen said.
“Thank you to all those that were involved in the recent program in Bairnsdale. By participating in this type of training, together we are bridging the gap in the chain of care to ensure a higher level of care is available as soon as an incident occurs.”
