Paramedic shares heroic highs and lows on World Trauma Day

FREE health talks, medical advice and interactive simulation of traumatic incidents held at various hospitals and medical centres marked World Trauma Day on Thursday, 17 October.

The day emphasises the importance of saving and protecting a life during the most critical moments and preparing and applying critical measures to deal with and avoid trauma fatalities. Key role players during the crucial stage of trauma are paramedics. Speaking to the SUN was Rescue Care Paramedics’ Garrith Jamieson, who together with his dedicated team work tirelessly to attend to various accidents and life endangering incidents in the Bluff, Wentworth, Clairwood, Yellowwood Park, Montclair and surrounds.

Asked what inspired his interest to pursue such a demanding career, Garrith said that he always felt that he had a desire to save people in need. “I really enjoy helping people and it has always been my passion to save lives. This stemmed from movies and series such as Baywatch and Rescue 911 which I watched growing up. I was fortunate that my parents allowed me to follow my dreams and support me. Today I am trained to handle multiple scenes and multiple patients. I am an advanced life support paramedic thus I immediately assume control of a scene and coordinate it to the best of my ability,” said Jamieson.

Although passion fuels this everyday superhero, he did, however, share that the job comes with its fair share challenges. “Every call is a unique challenge, however, calls involving children are the hardest especially as a father myself, this hits home hard. I can recall a horrific collision on the M4 southern freeway some years back. A taxi had collided with a vehicle and rolled numerous times. Multiple people passed away on the scene. I dealt with a two year old who had suffered major injuries. It was the hardest call to respond to and the hardest emergency incident to attend to, however thankfully it was a positive outcome and the child did well.

The Department of Health’s website states that the World Health Organisation (WHO), trauma is a major cause of death and disability across the world. WHO research has also shown that at least 50 percent of road deaths occurring in developing countries could have been prevented with effective interference after trauma has occurred, such as; immediate pre-hospital care, adequate knowledge of handling emergency situations and adequate supply of pre-hospital care equipment and facilities.

Being the first to respond to traumatised patients is undoubtedly a stressful task and to keep afloat, Garrith, who also serves as the Rescue Care Paramedics spokesperson, said that spending a lot of time with his daughter and his family helps a lot. “I like to spoil them and spend quality time with them. This helps me take time out and avoid thinking about work 24/7. I also take regular breaks away from work for some personal down time.

“This is not just a job, it’s a calling. Some people think it’s just a salary but it’s not. You need to be willing to work long hours for little thanks. It also goes without saying that you need to be a supportive character for your patients, as you are in the position of being their primary care provider in their time of need. You are the hug they need,” he added.

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