First Aid - Do I stop and assist or turn a blind eye?

[Aardvark]

Then why would you dedicate an hour or so to a bunch of beginners on this subject ? I do hope you can attend one of these classes if only to enlighten some on this Forum that I and others are not negative or racist in there views but possibly a little more informed and don't want fellow Forumites making mistakes because they think they have been trained up. Removing a Helmut from a Motorcycle patient for example is a no no here in Aus as you know because of the possibility or causing permanent damage, unless the patient is choking or other wise unable to breath and death is inevitable either way. I hope common sense is part of this course also !!

[Ter]

Aardvark its always best not to make sweeping statements and to assume other people are beginners, I have done this type of course all my working life as it is required in my field of work and also DAN courses as a experienced diver.
I would attend the course as I believe all good instruction is worth it and always found the trainer makes participants aware of the limitations.

[RALPHCUSENS]

Then why would you dedicate an hour or so to a bunch of beginners on this subject ? I do hope you can attend one of these classes if only to enlighten some on this Forum that I and others are not negative or racist in there views but possibly a little more informed and don't want fellow Forumites making mistakes because they think they have been trained up. Removing a Helmut from a Motorcycle patient for example is a no no here in Aus as you know because of the possibility or causing permanent damage, unless the patient is choking or other wise unable to breath and death is inevitable either way. I hope common sense is part of this course also !!

Aardvark,

Whilst I known what you mean, I think that I should point out, Triage is essentual at all levels of first aid, for example, if a ambulance arrives at the scene of an accident, and there is three casualties, and the ambulance can only convey one patient,then it is necessary to decide which one to convey to hospital,I ask you, how is one expected to decide which one is taken first, without prior training? It is in my experience an essentual part of any first aid course. This also applies to whom you would stabalise first at the scene of the incident.

Please do not "knock" this course, if you do not have full details, I can only say that a lot of effort has gone into this, and it has been put together in my opinion in a most professional manner.

The old saying comes to m,ind, "Don't Knock it Until you've Tried It"

[wazza]

I stuck my medical coordinators hat on and started thinking why do they wish to teach this subject, Ralph has expanded on this a bit and explained the details for ambulance crews, but where can this apply to individuals.

The course once qualified , also protects the individual according to Thai Law.

So who does this course as individuals and as groups and this is where the Triage component might apply.

The government automatically insures the EMS systems and the private hospitals insure their own.

But who trains and protects the community rescue teams, Wat "ambulances " etc

I imagine this course was designed for these groups in particular , its sets out basic standards and competencies to a major first response system, outside the EMS hospital systems. These "rescue " teams would need to know Triage, as they certainly are the initial responders.

From what i have seen from my observations, they do the basics and thats it, and the goverment through this course provides the medico legal support they need as well as ensuring a basic standard across Thailand for them.

We are being offered the same format course , its not a Red Cross First Aid course, but a First Responder course aimed at First Responder agencies.

Its my thoughts, but if i was a Programme Director, thats exactly what i would do also.

[RALPHCUSENS]

I have my thoughts on this, but they are only thoughts, so i will therefore refrain from giving them on open forum. If we should bump into each other Wassa, I will expand on my thoughts and reasoning.

Sorry, I should maybe have done this by PM.

[Aardvark]

Ralph, please don't get me wrong on this. I'm not necessarily knocking the course but just trying to point out a couple of things I think people should be aware of. Knowing which patient should be treated first is fine, but when the Ambo's turn up I would not dream of telling them which person to treat first, although I would explane which patient had which injury. My Wife's Nephew had a Motorcycle accident a couple of years ago. He T boned a pickup and fell to the road. The locals did there usual and stood around gawking until a falang came out of a house and checked him over. He wasn't breathing so the falang performed CPR and luckily in a minute or so the kid came around. A lot of the people were shouting at the falang and almost became aggressive until the boy spluttered to life and then there was a combination of shock and joy . A few more seconds and they may have attacked the falang and the kid would have died, and if he had died after the attempt to resuscitate him had failed, I hate to think what would have happened to the falang at the scene, it could have been a lynching for all I know.The one good thing that came out of that situation was a new found admiration for all things falang on the kids behalf who now regards us as knowledgeable people instead of half wits as he was brought up to believe. All I'm saying is be careful because you may not be seen as a good guy !!

[RALPHCUSENS]

Its OK Aardy, I did'nt take it the wrong way.

The point I was trying to make was that this course, is for first responders, who do transport casualties to hospital, and that is the reasoning behind the course including "Triage".

The instructors of this course, are the same instructors responsible for the yearly refresher courses held at Bun Dung for the "Voice of America" staff, so by implication, the American Government have confidence in these instructors