subject: SA Academy Takes Action by Training International Emergency Personnel [print this page] SA Academy Takes Action by Training International Emergency Personnel
ATA International Training Division (ITD) specialises in emergency health and safety training courses for professionals operating in remote and isolated environments, and who have been not been exposed for an extended period of time to the specific roles which they are trained to fulfill.
ATA (ITD) director Trevor Justus, an advanced life support paramedic with more than 15 years experience, explains: "The problem with being remotely-located is that these professionals are not receiving practical experience in their qualified fields. For example, we have come across qualified doctors located on off-shore oil rigs who have not even used a defibrillator for months. This is a fundamental exercise that should be carried out regularly."
Justus notes that ATA offers a two-week theoretical and practical training programme, either on-site or in South Africa, to assist healthcare practitioners to improve their proficiency in the management of medical, cardiac, surgical and trauma emergencies. He points out that the training courses are suitable for industries that include oil and gas, mining, manufacturing and construction.
"Our core purpose is to provide an all-in-one solution to equip emergency professionals with internationally-certified courses that are generally-regarded as being obligatory in respect of health and safety regulation compliance. These educational offerings are aimed at empowering staff by maintaining their knowledge and technical capabilities," he continues.
Justus points out that ATA (ITD) specialises in the design and development of tailor-made courses that cater to individual client needs. He notes that ATA (ITD) sets itself apart from its competitors, as it is the only company that fully-registers its international students to work as either doctors or paramedics at Johannesburg General Hospital, in order to provide them with hands-on experience in hospital wards.
Practical experiential training (PET) at Johannesburg General is carried out in the Trauma Unit, which involves work experience in the Emergency Room (ER) and in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). What's more, students are also provided pre-hospital management training, a road-based service that exposes students to the initial management of medical, surgical, cardiac, paediatric and obstetric emergencies.
"The process involved in registering a foreign medic to practise medicine in South Africa is long and complicated and, as a result, ATA (ITD) is one of the only trainer providers that offers this unique service," says Justus.
He notes that ATA (ITD) is able to meet any client requirements. "A client will give its exact specifications, and we will be able to custom-design a course to meet those needs, no matter what they are. We take the entire logistics process off their hands by arranging everything from airport pick-up and hotel accommodation, to all meals and relevant insurance."
Justus highlights the following short courses that form the basis of ATA (ITD) theoretical training:
Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)
Accredited by American College of Surgeons, ATLS outlines comprehensive management of trauma emergencies from a surgical perspective. The programme is designed for doctors who do not treat victims of major trauma on a regular basis and who may not have immediate access to sophisticated emergency facilities.
Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (BLS)
The BLS course is intended for participants who provide health care to patients in a wide variety of settings, including in-hospital and out-of-hospital settings. It is also designed for anyone who is required to take a Healthcare Provider Course for employment. The BLS course comprises 38 modules and is accredited by the American Heart Association and Resuscitation Council of South Africa.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
ACLS outlines comprehensive management of cardiac emergencies, and is accredited by the American Heart Association and Resuscitation Council of South Africa
Justus notes that the biggest challenge in offering international training courses is the language barrier. "All the courses are carried out in English; however, many students do not have a strong command of the language. We cater to this by organising language courses for them. This is not done on a generic basis, as we give each person an individual assessment, before customising a tailor-made course that suits their needs," he explains.
In addition to medical training courses, Justus concludes by adding that ATA (ITD) also provides a wide range of training programmes that include; aviation healthcare, offshore survival, technical rescue and firefighting courses.
