Or imagine being at home when a family member takes a nasty tumble, has a medical emergency or is clumsy with a very sharp knife – how would you respond?
For most of us the answer is panic, followed by a sense of sheer helplessness. You sort of know what needs to be done (maybe) but you sure as hell don’t know how to do it!
Eleven intrepid souls, this November, set out to make sure that wouldn’t happen to them. They enrolled for a First Medical Response Level 3 course, registered and accredited by SETA (Sector Education and Training Authority). Now that sounds quite intimidating, but in fact it’s a very practical – and comprehensive – four-day course which teaches you exactly what to do, and perhaps more importantly, what NOT to do, in case of an emergency.
Organised by Coastal Kindness, the course was held at Carriage Rock College (who were kind enough to make their premises available yet again); the instructor was Wouna Fall du Plessis of Gardmed. And the students were a diverse bunch of enthusiastic learners – who enjoyed the course so much that one even suggested they should all demand a rewrite just so they could all get together again! So, yes, hard work and a demanding syllabus, but much fun, laughter and camaraderie too!
Rewrite? Yes, there are exams – a practical as well as a two-hour theory paper to test your skills and knowledge. And the chance to rewrite to improve your marks. After all, this is a recognised SETA qualification!
No, you can’t become a paramedic, but yes, you will be able to take charge on the scene of an accident until a paramedic or doctor arrives – and you will know exactly what to do – and how!
Kenton is a fast-growing community – try finding parking outside Spar on a weekday morning – as well as a popular holiday destination. And we have very few trained medical people in our midst.
A surprising number of you have stepped up and done the CPR and AED training. That definitely helps in a time of emergency. This training goes that bit further, making you an even more indispensable member of our community.
You? Yes, you could train too, and save a life. Consider joining the next course we organise. It costs just R800. (The price of saving a life?)
If it’s just not for you, and we get that it’s not for everybody, perhaps consider sponsoring someone else? We need ten students in order to run the course!
