Emergency situation an eye opener for students
Gippsland-based medical students played a key role in a major, multi-agency emergency planning day.
A bushfire, a school camp evacuation and a school bus rollover … all the ingredients for a nasty little emergency and, for Gippsland Regional Clinical students, a case of being thrown in the deep end!
Luckily, this scenario was only simulated although there were some very real moments of anxiety for nine participating Year 4C students as well as representatives from major emergency service agencies from around Gippsland.
It was the first full-on emergency simulation exercise in the Latrobe Valley for some years and involved police, CFA, SES, ambulance, Latrobe City Emergency Management team, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and, of course, the School of Rural Health.
The event was staged at Woorabinda School Camp, a well-used State facility on the shores of Lake Narracan, just north of Moe in the Latrobe Valley. Gippsland students played a significant role in the day, running an ‘Emergency Department’ to deal with the casualties as they came in and also a General Practice-style clinic, set up to work with the injured. And there were quite a few!
Under the scenario, 46 people were in a school bus which overturned while evacuating the school camp in the middle of a bushfire. The “injuries’ ranged from cuts and bruises to broken limbs and a pregnant woman with internal injuries. The exercise was a wonderful learning opportunity for the students and their presence added substantially to the disaster scenario.
One of the representatives from the Woorabinda school camp, Denise Anthony, said: “Congratulations to Ambulance Vic and Monash School of Rural Health, Gippsland Regional Clinical School who certainly simulated a realistic ED and Clinic situation at Woorabinda – the ‘injured’ kids and staff loved it!”
Latrobe City Council’s Emergency Management Coordinator, Lance King, also welcomed the involvement of the School. “Ambulance Victoria and School of Rural Health – Gippsland Regional Clinical School, did a great job in the management of an area (medical treatment) that most of we other responders never get to be involved in.”