Having a church safety medical team is important since medical emergencies can occur any time and at any place. In a place like the church where there are people of diverse cultures, lifestyles and ages, chances are there are people with medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and other long term illnesses which can be fatal in an instant. Having a standby medical team is of importance not only to church setting even businesses having realized the importance of having a medical team on standby.
Setting up a response team
The steps to setting up the church safety medical team begin with taking stock of the resources the church has in terms of medical practitioners, nurses and other medical technicians. The church could approach these medical practitioners to volunteer during event to act as the medical team. There should also be a backup in case the identified team is not available. It would be unfortunate to have an emergency when the selected team of responders is not available. If the trained personnel are not enough or are not available, then the church could train some volunteers in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other medical emergency procedures so as to build the medical emergency response team. Once the team is set up, the members of the church should be aware of the existence of the team and those involved so that in case of emergency.
Setting up equipment
Automated External Defibrillators (AED) has become common in many public places, in factories, business areas and even in churches. This equipment is vital in cases of heart problems and have been said to reduce the fatality of heart attacks tenfold. Apart from this complicated equipment, having a simple first aid box can go a long way in assisting a medical practitioner do simple procedures e.g. Sewing up a wound, that can prove fatal. The team set up would recommend the equipment required. A sanatorium or a resting room can also be set up for occurrences like fainting or shock which would require a peaceful rest place. Communication is vital during an emergency and pre-planning the communication protocol in case of emergency can greatly improve the chances of saving a life, who is to be called in case of a medical emergency? Who is to do what in case of emergency? The numbers of the nearest service providers should also be kept by the person charged with communication in cases of emergency.
Training
Although having a designated medical team is a good idea, training as many members of the congregation as possible on first aid and CPR is of vital importance. This would not only assist the church safety medical team but it contributes to awareness by members of what to do even when the medical team is working. There are a number of organizations that offer training in medical emergencies at no cost or at a very minimal cost, these could be invited to offer training to the members who volunteer.
Conclusion
It is important to have a church safety medical team in place, but it is also important to have the members of the congregation participate actively by knowing what other members may be ailing from and trying to assist with information in case the affected person cannot communicate. Members should share information on allergies, existing conditions etc. In assisting the church safety medical team every member should be his/her brother’s keeper.