PHILIPSBURG – Ambulance Department personnel of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor are participating in a week-long session in Advanced Life Support (ALS) training that started on November 21, and will run through November 25, in collaboration with the medical staff of the Dutch Marines and Fire Department.
“Facilitating this training for the Ambulance Department will ultimately benefit the entire population of St. Maarten in pre-hospital ambulance care. This intense training is dedicated to enhancing the skills of the staff of the Ministry in administration of medication for trauma/pain relief, and stems from an agreement between the Regional Ambulance Organization (RAV) of Brabant, Middle-West-North Holland and Ministry VSA, as part of a 3½ year cooperation agreement that was entered into earlier this year,” stated Minister of Health Emil Lee.
The training sessions are being directed and guided by Ruud Verhalle and Rogier Evenhuis, Nurse Practitioners in Emergency Care from RAV. They will end on Friday, November 25, with two spectacular joint, enhanced technical scenarios with the on-duty medical officer (OVD-G) and on-duty fire officer (OVD-B) in the parking lot of the Fire and Ambulance Department. The scenarios are meant to illustrate cooperation between the various disciplines with the end motto: “One Team-One Mission, provide Good Care.” Everyone is welcome to witness the action this Friday, November 25.
Ambulance Department Head Cylred Richardson stated: “since the initial series of professional trainings held earlier this year, the staff has been highly enthusiastic, eager and committed to learn. I am very proud to have been able to partner with RAV for continued quality improvements in further professionalizing the Ambulance Department and look forward to further collaborations.”
