9 March 2004

Training for disaster

Photo opportunity 2.30pm, Wednesday 10 March, Clinical Skills Unit, Medical School, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.

Medical students at the University of Dundee will be put through their paces by external disaster response organisations such as the British Red Cross and Medicine sans Frontiers at the University of Dundee on Wednesday 10 March.

The students, from all years of medical training will be challenged to respond quickly to the disaster situations which the Red Cross and other services such as the Fire Brigade are faced with in their daily work.

Medicine sans Frontiers will speak to the students in the morning about managing disasters before they participate in the afternoon's practical sessions.

In a situation where there are multiple casualties quick responses are essential according to Helen Bath and Maureen Sharp from the Red Cross. The women will give an afternoon workshop on multiple casualty scenarios in the Clinical Skills centre where students will be trained to respond quickly to emergency situations.

Other students outside in the grounds of Ninewells will be taught by the Fire Brigade how to build a decontamination tent at the site of a chemical or biological incident.

A third group of students will resuscitate the lifelike patient simulator SimMan. Lawson Barclay, resuscitation training officer will lead the group while Dr Willy McClymont, an anaesthetist at Ninewells will give a workshop on Advanced Trauma Life Support.

Jennifer Kean and Julie Lau are students who have organised the day's seminar. Jennifer said: "This day is a voluntary training day for students but we hope they will take advantage of the opportunity as the experience of these organisations in disaster response situations is immense. The students will enjoy learning from those medics who have been in the front line of disaster situations and will learn skills on Wednesday that will be useful to them in their future careers."

By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk