Durban - A scene of a collision or any type of incident can be a terrifying and traumatic experience for anyone, but for a child even more so.
Some patients might also compare the arrival of paramedics with a sense of relief, that help is at hand, but when the patient is a child, it can be a daunting and frightening experience.
ER24 Vaal Branch Manager, John Ramcharan said approximately half of the incidents they respond to were involving the children sustain either serious or fatal injuries.
“Over weekends we typically see collisions involving families, and during the week we see taxi collisions involving school children. As first responders to the scene, paramedics are fully equipped to handle traumatic situations, but it can be a particularly challenging task where children are among the injured.
“Most of the staff within the EMS are mothers or fathers themselves. When you see a little kid on the scene, you tend to think that this could have been my child. You are more emotionally involved, and while you provide treatment, you provide comfort too. We’ve been on scenes where we’ve had to hold and comfort babies anything between 8 months to a year old. Your parenting instinct kicks in,” he said.
Explaining how he goes about treating children at a scene, Ramcharan said, “Most of the time when we get to a scene where children are involved they are usually scared or sad and ask for their parents. Their parents might not always be nearby, and you have to ensure that you provide the comfort they might need at that moment.
“There is a specific way you go about treating a child. It does come with years of experience within the service. Your mannerisms are different when you work with a child. You have to be soft-spoken and also choose words that a child will understand. Make them feel comfortable in an otherwise stressful situation,” he said.
Ramcharan continued: “It is crucial to talk to the child and to talk to them continuously. Tell them what you are busy with now, even if you are taking their blood pressure or checking for any injuries. This is the only way you can gain their trust and help them to remain calm so that you can treat them."
ER24 Trauma Coordinator, At Grobler, explains further, “ A child will most likely remember the gentle person on the scene who spoke to him or her or asked if I was scared. Children are clever, they can read body language, and they can understand different tones of voices. Absolute honesty is required when speaking to children.
" If the child asks where his or her mother or father is, tell them she is being looked after in the ambulance, or he is still entrapped in the vehicle. If a scene is horrific, that is when you will keep a child away from it as that will be what they will remember for the rest of their lives. But, for the most part, be as honest as possible," said Grobler.