CITRO MEDICO

  Netherlands Antilles Radio-Medical Service by CITRO Volunteers

   Introduction

In 1908 the Dutch Warship 'Jacob van Heemskerck' (nickname in Curaçao 'Shon Co') entered the Willemstad harbour. The Jacob van Heemskerck was outfitted with wireless telegraphy equipment and carried supplies for the construction of a coastal station for wireless communication. The era of wireless radio-communication started.

 

Not very long thereafter Curaçao was listed as a country having Radio Medical Service in the 'Admiralty List of Radio Signals'. Said service was called the 'Curaçao Radio Medicus'. A ministerial decree allotted the medical part of this service to the Department of Public Health, to be more specific to the acting director whom in those years rendered this service on a private basis to the best of his knowledge. Back then medical evacuation was not yet an option.

 

After many many years of active duty came retirement. The director then handed over this part of the job to the newly appointed director being an administrative physician. The task was soon to be transferred to the governmental medical service. In 1993 contacts with CITRO were established since CITRO had both (para)medicals as well as Medical Doctors as volunteers. Back then CITRO was expanding and also bought its first own fast rescue boat.

   Cooperation

During the same period of time the Rescue Coordination Centre Curaçao a.k.a. 'RCC Curaçao' was located at the Royal Dutch Airforce Base at the HATO International Airport. RCC Curaçao was working on new procedures for medical evacuations. Since there was already an established cooperation with CITRO for Search And Rescue it was to be expected that CITRO would be involved for medical evacuation procedures. Efforts were combined, goals were set.

 

The newly structured - voluntary - system for radio-medical service was incorporated in the military organization for medical evacuation. Subsequently a decision of the Department of Public Health led to an institutional status. From that moment on both RADIO-MEDICAL SERVICES and MEDEVACS officially were the competence of Rescue Coordination Centre Curaçao and CITRO Medico.

 

RCC Curaçao currently located at and operating from the Naval Base of the Royal Dutch Navy in Curaçao starts up the RADIO-MEDICAL SERVICES and/ or MEDEVAC systems if and when needed. RCC Curaçao taps into the resources from the Royal Dutch Navy; the Royal Dutch Airforce; the Coast Guard Netherlands Antilles & Aruba (CGNA&A) and CITRO.

   Procedures

Now, how does this work?

 

Anyone who knows about an off-shore medical emergency can call. Incoming urgent questions or alarm with regard to medical emergencies often are being reported via VHF radio, HF radio; SSB radio and/or satellite communication and GMDSS systems. Of course such emergency calls are being redirected to the nearest RCC, in the Netherlands Antilles & Aruba being CoastGuard Radio 'PJC'.

 

Once an emergency call is registered at RCC Curaçao prescreening starts and CITRO Medico is being informed about the casualty. CITRO Medico has a group of (para)medics on call on a 24x7 (voluntary) basis which will then be activated. CITRO Medico will evaluate if Medical Advice is needed or Medical Evacuation is (urgently) needed.

 

In case of RADIO-Medical Advice the Medical Doctor on-call will provide advice from remote postion like home or office communicating through the operator of RCC Curaçao/  CoastGuard Radio 'PJC'.

 

In case Medical Evacuation 'MEDEVAC' is unavoidable CITRO Medico together with RCC start up and prepare for evacuation using CITRO Assets and/ or RDN and CGNA&A Assets. Asset allocation and activation depends on the circumstances on site.

- The Medical Doctor attending the MEDEVAC will decide which professionals to send and what medical equipment is needed to take along. A Medical Doctor assisted by a paramedic is a frequently used team. Sending paramedics only but supported through radio by a Medical Doctor works fine in cases where the presence of a Medical Doctor is not necessary and the presence of paramedics is sufficient.

 

- Once evacuation has started the on-shore procedures for the ambulance service and attendance by the hospital will be activated. In order to have the ambulance readily available the ambulance will be requested to stand-by at dockside prior to arrival of the vessel or at the launch pad prior to arrival of the helicopter. Worth mentioning is that CITRO and Curaçao Medical Emergency Systems 'CEMS' are working together closely. Not only during medical emergencies but also in knowledge exchange programs and training procedures.

 

- It is part of the procedure that the attending Medical Doctor informs both the ambulance personnel as well as the attending Medical Doctor in the hospital about the casualty and the involvement of the (para)medical team.