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ThinkTank -RescueRanger
Please tell us something about your occupation?
Tell us more about your life, how you were able to reach at this position?
Sir my story is complicated so i won't bore you much. Just to say that my primary and secondary education was in Pakistan, i did my secondary education from St. Mary's Academy, Lallazar.
Following on from that i never had the grades to be a doctor, so i worked at my uncles private clinic as a extra hand, helping with wound dressing, first aid, basic dispensing etc. In 2003 i got accepted at a Teaching Hospital in the UK (North Hartleypool) to do my Diploma in Paramedical Sciences, and i also did my BTSL: Basic Trauma Life Support course form the same hospital, where Mashallah i was the only Pakistani and topped my class.
I was invited to do a ETA course with London Ambulance Service, and this was an epic moment in my life.
When i returned to Pakistan, i had trouble getting any job in a hospital or medical clinic. One day i read an advert saying that Islamabad Police under the direciton of SSP Nasir Khan Durrani was starting an Emergency Service, so i plucked the courage got on a Number 22 wagon from outside my house to Zero Point and begged the reader to let me have an Audience with the SSP.
I met the SSP and pleaded with him to take me on even as a Volunteer, just so i could get out of the house and do something, Nasir Khan Durrani was a great man and gave me my break, i was taken on as a daily wages staff at Rs. 5000 per month and thus began my career in Islamabad Police
Mashallah with the grace of god since then i have been selected for numerous courses including basic ATS, EIC, VIS etc. I have had the honour of working with SB and Pak Army on some very sensitive projects and was myself selected as instructor to teach a few subjects at Police Lines and at the National Police Academy.
During the 2005 earthquake, we rescued a Japanese woman from the rubble. Unfortunately her husband and son were not so luck and had been crushed under a book shelf. The Japanese agency she worked for JICA gave us all a certificate.
On the second day when the British Team working came there and saw us working, i think the name of their chief was John Holland was so impressed he arranged a training for us in USAR: Urban Search and Rescue, it was during this time that i met Dr. Rizwan Naseer the founder of Rescue 1122 who invited me and a few others to help train rescue 1122 staff (which at the time was called PEAS: Punjab Emergency Ambulance Service).
Since that time i have helped train Rescue 1122 staff in Punjab and civil defence in KPK and Punjab, i had the honour of representing Pakistan at the UN INSARAG: International Search and Rescue Advisory Group steering committee in Dubai 2008.
We also introduced the US FEMA as a CERT Master Trainer : Community Emergency Response Team, and have trained 200+ volunteers in Islamabad and Lahore for the National Volunteer movement (Something the present government disbanded)
In 2011 i decided to leave my role due to politics and family reasons, Since 2011 i co own and run a consultancy based in Islamabad, but am still on the faculty of PTS as visiting lecturer.
That is about it. Sorry for the long and boring life story... Booth bolta hoon, at least that is what the wife says
We have an excellent Rescue service and trained staff.But still the mortality in Accidents and trauma is quite high,what do you think we are lacking in and what should we do to improve our condition?
the problem is tiered and not linear. There is a huge disparity between pre-hospital care and in hospital care levels in Pakistan.
For example in developed countries you have people with basic knowledge relating to C Spine Injuries and basic airway management, so they know not to move someone who has had a car crash or fall form height and keep the airway open of someone unconscious. In Pakistan the average bystander will never have such knowledge and this compromises the Golden Hour Golden hour (medicine) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, not only does this compromise the golden hour but also has an impact on the Platinum 10 mins (ambulatory care time) Battlefield Medicine: The Golden Hour and the Platinum Ten | Britannica Blog.
Secondly when trained responders arrive, we are trained to use a system called START: Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment, in addition to doing a Rapid Trauma Assessment or Medical assessment of the patient, the starting the relevant intervention (Load and Go: Serious Trauma to be treated in hospital, or Stay and Play: Basic First Aid provision, non life threatening).
In Rescue 1122, CARES and Aman Foundation ambulances carry basic and intermediate care equipment including Patient Monitoring, AED, O2, Suction, burns kit, IVs, Airway Management etc... The problem really starts when the patient leaves the bubble of care of the ambulance and is received at the A&E dept of a hospital.
When the ambulance arrives at the hospital the crew will do a handover with doctors, this handover will include a PRF: Patient Report Form, which is filled in by the paramedics when they are transporting the patient and includes data important to the Doctor such as SAMPLE: S:Signs & Symptoms, A:Allergies, M: Medications, P: Past Medical History, L: Last meal/oral intake, E: Events leading upto along with a GCS: Glasgow Coma Scale and other vital patient statistics.
As i said, there is a huge disparity in the levels of care provided at Pre-Hospital and in-hospital. Some hospitals do not have doctors or nurses trained in BLS or ALS, let alone trauma care skills, these hospitals are very understaffed and ill equipped. Sadly it is here that the patients start to suffer, as the chain of survival and golden hour becomes compromised.
There is an emphasis on improving hospital response and training for in hosptial staff on International Standars, for example the lifesavers foundation has been providing ALS: Advanced Life Support & BTLS: Basic Trauma Life Support training to doctors and nurses since 2005: Lifesavers Foundation - Home
Furthermore PEER: Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response ( A joint project of NSET and USAID) has been working on improving hospital surge capacity and response capacity for MCI: mass casualty incidents.
http://www.ndma.gov.pk/Docs/BooksAnd...e_Database.pdf
Still a lot needs to be done, but Pakistan is limited because of red tape and lack of funds/interest. Did you know that we started free Basic Life Support training in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and only managed to train 400 volunteers from 2005 to 2010, because a lack of interest, Whereas private trainers charge 2500 to 5000 rupees per person for this training
A lot more needs to be done.
What do you think about the political system in Pakistan?
This interview is based upon replies to the questions asked by me and other members on the forum, by our respected ThinkTank.
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