First aid facilities that are approved by a health authority are essential for remote camps in Africa. You will need a trained medical professional to oversee the on-site medical facilities. Because medical care is often hours or even days away, the medical clinic is responsible for providing first aid and emergency treatment to injured workers.
The medical clinic may be a single-bed medical facility with basic first aid services or a multi-bed capacity in case of a large permanent camp with hundreds of workers. It could also be a mobile field hospital that comes complete with on-staff doctors to carry out more advanced levels of patient care.
Here are 5 components that would constitute a comprehensive medical emergency plan for a remote camp.
- Ensure your team is medically fit for work and has appropriate inoculations through medical screening and vaccination programs.
2. Establish a medical base camp with a container clinic stocked with medicines, oxygen, breathing equipment, syringe driver, defibrillators and stretchers, and traveling camps with Emergency Medical Response Equipment.
3. Set up a communications system suitable for the terrain – satellite phones, communications gear including VHF and Inmarsat, and satellite mapping to monitor the teams on the ground.
4. Appoint appropriate medical personnel, a professional doctor skilled in remote and emergency medicine, and four anaesthetic nurses selected for their technical skills with the right mindset to work in a harsh environment.
5. Develop a customized evacuation response plan, coordinated through a centralized response center, with a pre-determined approval process, points of contact, air ambulance/ helicopter providers, and an agreed communications process with the company.
For inquiries on remote camp solutions call us on T.+254(0)748734203 Email: info@liteconafrica.com
