Nothing will deter the ‘doctor in the bush’
With strong faith, Mdlalose believes the blessings of the people saved is the driving force behind his moral and ethical behaviour.
Advanced Life Support (ALS) Paramedic, Xolani Mdlalose is the first in the Newcastle private sector to earn a BTech degree in Emergency Medical Services.
After completing his National Diploma in 2009, at the age of 21, Mdlalose gained his hours of service as a paramedic and decided to pursue his degree, which he obtained in 2015.
Appointed as the Operations Manager at TRIVS Emergency Medical Services, the 30-year-old believed the profession was a calling.
“It is not a job for everyone. Being a paramedic is a vocation, not a last resort,” he said passionately.
Mdlalose’s work ethic and approach to emergency situations, proves his worth in the industry.
Reshma Samlal, owner of TRIVS, said she is proud to have Mdlalose as a staff member, along with colleague and second ALS paramedic at the base, Siya Malinga.
“It is a great achievement to obtain a degree in this field, which is extremely difficult for many medics,” she said.
Coming from a nursing background herself, Samlal said she had a new-found respect for paramedics, given the environment they had to work in.
“The environment medics work in is unstable; it is not sterile and it is uncontrolled. They have to fight the elements, be it wind, rain, sun or darkness, while trying to save lives.”
Mdlalose said being a paramedic makes one think critically and the decisions are made immediately given the limited resources, as compared to a hospital.
Patient care is his number one priority and he explained the dangers of ambulance services transporting more than the required amount of patients.
“If an ambulance is loading more than the required amount of patients given the capacity, it endangers others lives too. One of the patients can go into cardiac arrest and the medic would need to treat the patient in full view of the other patients. This can cause a long term effect,” he explained.
With strong faith, Mdlalose believes the blessings of the people saved is the driving force behind his moral and ethical behaviour.
Why are ALS paramedics referred to as ‘doctors in the bush’?
“An ALS medic can treat patients with invasive procedures, such as intubation, and patients who are in cardiac arrest. They can also administer around 36 drugs at the scene to stabilise the patient for transport to hospital,” he concluded.
ALSO READ: How to prepare for the arrival of paramedics
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