NCC day parade

went for NCC day parade today.. got the shock of my life. by the ambulance driver.

so i met them just past 0800hrs in HQ.. then took ambulance go Amoy Quee camp.. then there was this Zone 9 adult corps guy, Chester, with us also..

reached there and started to set up.. then the ambulance driver wanted to test my knowledge.. so he asked me what would my management be for an epileptic case.. well, epilepsy.. can't do anything also what.. just clear the area, ensure safety, and turn casualty lateral so any vomitus and saliva can flow out and not choke the casualty..

guess what the ambulance driver said?

"you stupid ar? manage like that, your casualty die already!"

huh? i manage wrongly? how can it be? better go home study manual. that was what i thought. until he explained himself.

"when you got epilepsy case, squeeze his shoulders to inflict pain. when he's in pain, he will open his mouth to shout out. then stuff a spoon into his open mouth. if not he will bite his tongue and die bleeding."

?? huh ?? what the bloody hell?! where got such nonsense?!

and he dare say that he was trained in A&E and that any A&E NO will also tell me the same thing.

i dare say: NONSENSE.

stuffing a spoon into his mouth will only allow the spoon to block his airway. epileptic casualties do not bite their tongues.. it's a huge misconception perpetrated by TV. in fact, most medical knowledge learnt from TV CAN'T be trusted. beware.

furthermore, he simply had NO IDEA how to assess cases!! there was a headache case which he was quite concerned over and he allowed that girl to stay in first aid post for about 4 hours until she asked to be discharged 'cos she couldn't stand his attitude anymore. please. that case was a clear-cut 'geng' case. she just didn't want to join back her contingent.

then there was this other girl. migraine. pain score 5. but he insisted on discharging her. he thinks that she was just faking it.

another girl. temperature of 37.50C. he tells me to monitor for 10 minutes and send hospital if it doesn't go down. hello. she just came in from the sun!! 37.5oC is freaking ok la!!

then there was this guy who came to us for chest pain. i was away from first aid post and he didn't inform me. he just waited about 10 mins and announced that he's ready to send that guy to hospital. i rushed back when i heard that he was sending someone to hospital. so i did my history taking and assessment. turns out that this guy has had such pains before and it's very likely due to cramps more than angina. he's in band. blowing into an instrument for hours. i don't think it's a case of angina since there was no numbness or even radiating pain. but in any case, monitoring for 10 mins is simply not good enough to decide to send the guy to hospital. so i rested him a bit more and he was soon well enough to be discharged. i don't think it's anything serious but certainly not serious enough to warrant sending in hospital in an ambulance. i discharged him to his parents just to be on the safe side.

anyway, these are just among the many cases whom we saw that day. most are mild cases. just need rest and water. but once he told me his treatment for epilepsy was the stuffing spoon nonsense early that day, i've already cast serious doubts upon his ability as a first aider.

and he was just SOO concerned about leaving on time at 1900hrs!! he didn't care if there were any casualties, he couldn't care less if the 3 SAF medics could cope. he was only interested in leaving the camp by 1900hrs.

(and 1 of those 3 SAF medisc just 'tekan' me all day sia.. thanks huh.")

hello. i know that my cadets have got school the next day. i too, have school the next day. but you can't just leave like that!! we're first-aiders. you have a crowd of about 1500 people. how can you just leave?!

and the parade was only just ready to march in at 1845hrs!! they need an hour to finish the whole parade!!

what would i be teaching, as a senior and as an instructor if i just leave simply because the time is up?

what would i be teaching my cadets, and the public, if i agree with his treatment of the various cases? i may not be a qualified nurse. but i don't think i'm so bad that my treatment and assessment can be so wrong!!

darn it. hate him sia.

anyway, 1900hrs issue was resolved when i called superiors to extend by 1hr to 2000hrs and to drop the news to him from the top of the hierarchy. so we left at around 2000hrs..

sorry chester, that you were late for work. but i really can't allow us to leave at 1900hrs. it's just too wrong and so against my conscience as a first aider, as a nurse, and as a instructor.

damn. i'm so pissed.