The equipment

In the last issue’s item on the new rescue equipment purchased for the Martinborough St John Ambulance by Toast Martinborough we were rather remiss in not describing the actual use of each item. So to rectify this omission:

The main item in the photo is the Hartwell Combi Carrier. This is a spinal-board type carrier which can be used in cases where a stretcher can not access.

The equipment on the left of the photo is a strangely named KODE2 . A spinal immobilization devise used to support trapped patients in vehicles. It looks rather like a large corset.

The item held by Ambulance Officer Kathryn Ching is a Sager Traction splint. This is used to immobilise one or both limbs where the patient has a femoral (long thigh bone) fracture, it actually realigns the bone into normal position which for many patients gives a huge degree of pain relief.

Along with these the donation also purchased an allied Healthcare Entonox Set (which is not obvious in the picture). The Entonox set is a gaseous, inhaled pain reliever – same as many mums would be familiar with during labour – it delivers Entonox (laughing gas) to the patient as they inhale.

Kathryn explains that some items replaced those which were well and truly superseded many years previously but which had simply not able to be replace. By having these new pieces of equipment the ambulance has been brought up to a standard comparable with virtually all ambulances in main centres through-out New Zealand. “This also means, on occasion when we have other ambulance crews working with us, there is total familiarity with what they are using….not something removed from other main-stream ambulances” Kathryn said.

“I think we are extremely lucky Toast Martinborough saw us as a worthy recipient of the donation. From our point of view, it has meant the ‘wish-list’ we had floating around waiting for some capital, has been realised. We are very grateful.”