CareFlight’s MediSim program continues to help save lives

CareFlight is preparing to take its award-winning emergency trauma care training to first responders around the country again this year.

The program, now in its ninth year, was developed to give first responders in regional and remote parts of Australia the skills they need to sustain life during a serious incident.

Last year, our experienced emergency specialists trained hundreds of local rescue volunteers and remote workers. This year, our team is taking the training to almost 70 rural and remote locations across Australia.

The workshops use life-like mannequins and a car crash rescue simulator to recreate a high pressure accident scene. Our specialist doctors, intensive care paramedics and flight nurses take volunteers through the steps they need to take to save lives and improve health outcomes.

In Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory, the participants described the training as “invaluable”.

Health services in rural and regional Australia can be stretched in emergencies and often the first people to arrive at the scene of a serious incident are the local rescue volunteers we train. CareFlight developed the MediSim program to take vital trauma care training directly to communities that need it.

Launched in 2011, CareFlight’s MediSim program has now trained more than 4500 emergency service volunteers.

The program was developed by its own Dr Ken Harrison and has won highly prestigious awards both nationally and internationally. It’s delivered at no cost to participants thanks to our sponsors, including TIO, and generous donations from the community.

For further information, call MediSim Program Coordinator Colin Brown on 0407 415 267 or email us here.