Duo honoured for saving triplets
N ESHOWE paramedic, who was honoured at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health’s recent MEC’s Annual Excellence Awards in Durban, says giving someone a second chance at life was worth more than all the money in the world.
Ram Reddy, 46, and his sub-district manager, Michael Laing, whom he has been working alongside for over 20 years, received special recognition accolades for their quick response to a call-out for help that was outside of the district they worked and outside their normal working hours.
The duo, who saved the lives of newborn triplets on December 20, had completed their shift after midnight.
“A young mother had given birth at 31 weeks at a rural clinic in Melmoth where there was no proper healthcare facilities. The premature babies had little chance of living,” said Reddy.
“I was called out by junior paramedics, who required help. Our jurisdiction is south but we felt the need to help and went to the west district.”
According to Reddy, junior paramedics are not as skilled because they are still learning, so if there is a tough situation they summon an advanced life support paramedic.
He said he and Laing, who he referred to as his mentor, drove to the clinic, which is about 35km away, as fast as they could.
They carried along an incubator to transport the babies to the Lower Umfolozi War Memorial Hospital.
Initially, they planned to send a helicopter to receive the mother and her babies but due to poor weather conditions, decided to use a vehicle.
“When we arrived, we noticed one baby was in severe respiratory distress and we had to act quickly to get him out of danger.”
Reddy said the other two babies had no blood sugar level (hypoglycaemia) and had to be placed on drips.
“After we checked on the mom and were ready to transport all the patients to the hospital, where the staff were on standby for us, we noticed the largest of the babies, the second born, had stopped breathing.
“We then had to send the other babies and their distressed mother with another ambulance to the hospital and requested the hospital to send another ambulance crew to pick us up with another incubator. We then began working on the baby at the clinic.”
Reddy worked on resuscitating the newborn.
About 20 minutes later, the baby was out of harm’s way and he and Laing received applause from clinic staff.
Reddy took the baby with him in the ambulance, while Laing followed in their response vehicle.
“We did not think the baby would make it. When the mother saw her baby at the hospital she couldn’t control herself.
“She thought she had lost her child.” The triplets are doing well. The advanced life support paramedic, who has been working since 1989, said it was just another day of work for him. ENSURING that newborns are ferried safely between healthcare facilities is a particular passion for Pradeep Ashokcoomar.
The principal of the KwaZulu-Natal College of Emergency Care sunk 18 months of hard work into a research report that analysed healthcare facility transfers of neonates – those from birth to the first 28 weeks – within the Durban area.
“This topic is close to my heart,” said the 47-year-old.
“I realised there is a paucity of research (and) this motivated me to undertake this particular study.”
Ashokcoomar, of Clairwood, recently received recognition for his research at the MEC’s Annual Service Excellence Awards.
“I feel extremely honoured and humbled to receive this special recognition award,” he said.
And it’s not the first spur his research achieved.
In October it won first prize at the Department of Health research day in Pietermaritzburg.
He explained: “I have been employed by the EMS in KZN for approximately 28 years.
“During these years, I have been involved in many neonatal healthcare facility transfers.
“A study of this nature is an essential component of providing appropriate emergency medical care and contributes to a limited body of knowledge within South Africa.
“The study is an essential contribution towards effective and efficient quality healthcare.”
Ashokcoomar joined the EMS in 1989 as a ground and aeromedical paramedic and has been the principal of the college since 2014.
He said he tried to instil professionalism and discipline in future paramedics.
He expects them to strive for an effective, quality and caring service.
Ashokcoomar, who undertook his research through the Durban University of Technology, is pursuing a PhD.
In his research he is looking at developing a programme for neonatal transfers.
Who says a paramedic can’t be a doctor?