The first-aid practitioner on the scene can help to stabilise a patient with fractured limbs by applying a temporary splint. Nolubabalo Ntsendwana closely observes while instructor Veronique Plaatjies demonstrates the basics on Lizo Sifuba.
To expand the skill set of their staff who get into direct contact with passengers, GO GEORGE has enrolled these employees for a Level 1 first-aid course that they have completed recently.
“It became essential to empower our staff to be able to effectively assist passengers in emergency situations,” says James Robb, GO GEORGE Manager. “We have had several cases of passengers falling sick, and where our Champions who work on the buses and at the bus stops, had to intervene and call paramedical services. Even the Call Centre and Operations Room staff rotate, sometimes working in the field, so we enrolled them too. With the newly acquired knowledge, our staff can make the patient as comfortable as possible until professional help arrives.”
The course included topics such as emergency scene management, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), choking, shock, medical conditions, bleeding and wounds, bone and joint injuries, and head and spinal injuries. The typical medical conditions that the GO GEORGE Champions get to deal with (epilepsy, fainting, nose bleeds and diabetic emergencies) formed part of the training, while they now also know what to do in the case of medical emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes.
