This site uses cookies, as explained in our terms of use. If you consent, please close this message and continue to use this site.
1 min Read
A training on high altitude mountain medicine to prevent and treat altitude related sicknesses was organised by the Cryosphere Initiative of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) 15 January 2016 in ICIMOD headquarters. Twenty-five participants learned the health risks and treatment for high altitude and cold-related illnesses and injuries.
Familiarity about the management and treatment of altitude related sickness can save lives in absence of immediate medical help in the mountains. Experts within ICIMOD’s Cryosphere Initiative and partner institutions work regularly in high altitude, often well above 5000 metres, to collect data on glacier mass balance, snow, weather and hydrological conditions in the region.
Anna Sinisalo, a glaciologist with ICIMOD who initiated the training said her field work is usually carried out without an accompanying medical professional.
‘Mountainous terrain and variable weather conditions make it difficult for the teams in the field to rely on immediate evacuation in case of emergency’, Sinisalo said.
Training was tailored to fill the gap between medical professionals and what individual members on expedition can do to help themselves in case of an emergency situation.
International mountain medicine experts Dr Emmanuel Cauchy and Dr Sandra Leal of the Mountain Medicine Institute for Training and Research (IFREMMONT, France) conducted the training.
Participants were familiarised with the process of acclimatisation, as well as how to identify symptoms and stages of altitude sickness and other altitude related sicknesses and how to prevent and treat them in field conditions. They learned about the importance of effective communication between the field team members and a medical doctor and preparation and the use of well-equipped first aid kit in the field.
During the two day training, the participants also received training on the use Gamow bag (an inflatable hyperbaric chamber) and on primary care including the use of backpacks, clothing and trekking poles to make temporary stretchers and bandages. Decision making in an emergency situation was emphasized including the crucial questions about when and how to evacuate.
Participants were tested on the knowledge they acquired during the course. All felt the training provided them new skills for their future work in the field.
Share
Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.
Related Content
Menon called on the private sector to join forces with the government to develop the country's tourism infrastructure around its ...
Participation of the private sector has opened up avenues for joint collaboration with local authorities for sustainable WUMP schemes and ...
In collaboration with the Pakistan Meteorological Department, WWF-Pakistan, and Burraq Integrated ...
The meetings were attended by delegates from 26 member countries, along with 10 international organizations and representatives from ...
With rapid urbanization and demand for construction materials in Nepal, brick kilns have proliferated across the country, providing livelihoods to ...
Just as in the other hilly districts of Nepal, the out-migration by the youths in Nuwakot, mainly by the male ...
Several rounds of joint scientific investigation were carried out in Lholing to understand the hydrogeology of its springs and devise ...
Encouraged by this result, the Himalica initiative sought collaboration with the Sustainable Agriculture and Production Linked to Improved Nutrition Status, ...