Durban South paramedic scoops MEC service excellence award
Local paramedic receives an award for service excellence.
EMS paramedic, Robert Mackenzie was one of the recipients of the MEC’s Annual Service Excellence Award (MASEA) which was presented on Friday, 2 June at a ceremony at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.
The MASEA recognises employees for performance excellence in the delivery of healthcare services for individuals and teams in various categories. These are contributions made by healthcare workers, nurses, doctors, specialists etc. to health service delivery in the most adverse conditions and under the most trying circumstances
EMS paramedics win awards at MASEA https://t.co/PklfoJR8ca #ArriveAlive @HealthZA pic.twitter.com/ZPH6NbqOo5
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) June 7, 2017
The award Mackenzie received was for outstanding performance and dedication in the field of emergency rescue after they safely extracted a young girl who was trapped in a steel pipe at Ugu District.
The eight-year-old girl was stuck about half way down a vertical steel pipe which was about 1,5 metres tall and about 40 cm in diameter.
Congratulations to @robz_mckenzie and @kznems team. Well Done guys #MASEA @Nongoma_FM @kznhealth pic.twitter.com/CVyXWwDZ3H
— Cebo Thabo Buthelezi (@CeboThabani) June 2, 2017
What complicated the rescue mission was a jagged piece of steel that was fixed horizontally about half way down in the pipe. Her legs were trapped under this piece of metal and the jagged metal which was digging into her leg made it difficult to pull her out.
With my colleagues @Fafapdiver , Harris Dlamini and @MedEvacEMS at the #MASEA awards. We won an award for rescuing a child trapped in a pipe pic.twitter.com/mJl7qpfBWi
— Robert Mckenzie (@robz_mckenzie) June 2, 2017
The rescuers had to use cooking oil to make the inside of the pipe slippery. One rescuer then put his hand over the jagged piece of metal while the other managed to move his hand down the pipe, behind the girls back and managed to grab her shoe. They then with her assistance managed to move her legs, untangled her and took her out of the pipe.
DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics.
To receive news links via WhatsApp, send an invite to 061 876 3179
The Southlands Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?
Do you have more information pertaining to this story?
Feel free to let us know by commenting on our facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)
