Scouts Receive Advanced Medical Training

The safety of the Grumeti Fund scouts is of utmost importance.  The 110 scouts working here put their lives on the line every day.  During their daily patrols it is very possible that they may come into conflict with poachers, who may be carrying anything from a lethal poisoned arrow to an AK 47.  To ensure their safety, as best as possible, the Anti-Poaching team offered 45 of its most qualified scouts the opportunity to develop their first aid knowledge and skills through an Advanced Medical Training course. Grumeti Fund’s Law Enforcement Manager, Wesley Gold who joined the team in 2016, identified early on in his time here “that if a scout becomes seriously injured, especially in one of our far flung, remote camps, he could succumb to his injuries as it takes a long time to get to some of these places and at certain times of the year it is impossible to do so. I wanted to equip them with the ability to keep the patient stable in order to buy management enough time to plan and effect a Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) with the available resources.”

The course was taught by a UK company, Line9 Medic and the aim was to equip the scouts with the tools for the worst-case scenarios. The first day of the course focused on First Person on the Scene (FPOS), designed to teach the scouts how to stabilize a patient at the scene and making the best use of the “Golden Hour” (the first 60 minutes after an injury has taken place). The remaining five days were dedicated to Prolonged Field Care, equipping the scouts with the ability to keep a patient stable for a prolonged period of time, through control of infection, shock and pain through the use of intravenous fluids, oxygen and drugs.  Through equipping them with the ability to effectively treat serious injuries that can occur in the bush with wildlife or with armed poachers, they now have more confidence to carry out their jobs to the best of their ability. Read more about our Anti-Poaching team here.