The Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School (AH&HW) and the Health and Safety Committee of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) hosted three five-day Medical Emergency Response courses in hinterland areas.
According to a press release form Public Communications Consultants Limited, the courses were held at Karanambu on October 25 and the second and third at Rock View Lodge at Annai from January 15 to 21 and from March 19 to 23, respectively. Eighty-three persons from a number of tourism and village locations in the Rupununi Savannahs participated in the training. “Altogether the course embraced trainees from Rock View (27), Bina Hill (6), Aranaputa (2), Rupertee (1), Wowetta (3), Surama (13), Atta Lodge (2), Karanambu (5), Yupukari (4), Kwaimata (5), Massara (4), Rewa (3) and other villages,” the release said.
The training session was directed by Captain Malcolm Chan-a-Sue, AW&HW CEO, and conducted by Nurse Marcian Gravesande, First Aid and First Responder Instructor. The Medical Emergency Course forms part of the school’s curriculum and is a requirement for all aircraft operators at Ogle Airport.
The release said the course was held by the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana, which administers the AW&HW School, as part of an initiative to ensure that tourism locations throughout the hinterland have the capacity to respond to medical emergencies that may arrive from air, land or boat accidents or other medical emergencies at their respective locations. The course included extrication at the scene of an accident and emergency medical fist-aid.
Medical Emergency Responder boxes and or bags were donated to some of the tourist locations, which benefited from the training. These included Rewa, Rock View, Atta Lodge and Karanambu. Also, President of THAG Paul Stephenson presented first Responder Certificates to the participants at the conclusion of the course.
According to the release, THAG and the AW&HW School will be collaborating to conduct similar training at tourism locations which are particularly serviced by aircraft and boat transportation in the Essequibo River location of the Bartica triangle.