ER24 hosts first ever BCCTPC exam in the country
Knowledge of cardiology, nephrology, neurology, trauma, paediatrics and neonatology as well as ventilation, life-support, anaesthetics and advanced airway management procedures was tested in the examination.
ER24 is proud to have hosted the first ever Board for Critical Care Transport Paramedic Certification (BCCTPC) examination in South Africa.
The BCCTPC is an American-based standard-setting body that examines paramedics across the world to ensure those transporting critical care patients by ground or air are of a certain standard.
A paramedic who holds a BCCTPC certification is recognised as part of an exclusive group of paramedics with superior knowledge in transport medicine and critical care.
Previously, paramedics would have had to travel abroad to a satellite examination centre to write the exams. To ensure that their Critical Care Retrieval Service paramedics are at a higher standard than everyone else, ER24 sent three of its paramedics to Malta last year on a course and to write the critical care transport and flight paramedic examination set by the BCCTPC.
Currently, they are the only paramedics in South Africa to hold this certification. These paramedics are specialists in critical care transport and form part of dedicated retrieval teams that are rapidly dispatched to stabilise patients in peripheral hospitals, start ICU and life-saving care before transporting a patient to a specialist care centre.
Following successful discussions with the BCCTPC, ER24’s Training Academy, based at the head office in Paulshof, hosted the first examination in the country. Four ER24 paramedics wrote the examination on June 5.
Knowledge of cardiology, nephrology, neurology, trauma, paediatrics and neonatology as well as ventilation, life-support, anaesthetics and advanced airway management procedures was tested in the examination.
Aebhric O’Kelly, the managing director of Merit Training which is based in Europe, facilitated the examination.
Jill Lithgow, from the ER24 Training Academy, said she is proud to have been a part of the first ever hosting of the examination.
“This examination forms part of ER24’s critical care strategy. ER24’s relationship with Merit Training has grown over the years. Merit trained ER24 students. We train Merit students as well and provide them with placement on our vehicles as observers,” she said.
ER24 will continue to ensure that only the best paramedics are utilised to treat and transfer patients.
