EXERCISE MEDICAL CHALLENGE

Ex MEDICAL CHALLENGE is a team-building event, using a combination of civilian instructors from the Belfast Activity Centre at Barnett’s Demesne, alongside military personnel from 204 (NI) Field Hospital and 253 (NI) Medical Regiment.  Teams of civilian healthcare professionals from the various Hospital Trusts took take part in team building activities, in small groups, conducting both leader and leaderless tasks.  All tasks were demanding, some physical, some mental, others a combination of the two.

The overarching aim of the day was to develop trust and group cohesion by exposing civilian health professionals to various strenuous and challenging activities in order to push personal boundaries, whilst having fun.  The secondary aim was to stimulate interest in the Reserve Forces and introduce individuals to the work of both 204 (NI) Field Hospital and 253 (NI) Medical Regiment.

On arrival participants were treated to a demonstration of a section coming under fire with the resulting casualties being given initial treatment before being whisked off by field ambulance to become part of the casualty treatment stand later in the day.

The teams were put through the following 40 minute scenarios:

1.  Rock Face Rescue – A demanding climb of a rock face followed by a leap of faith – and that was just to reach the casualty!

2. Watermanship Stand – Carried out in the river and the very real prospect of getting very wet.

3. Planning Exercise with a practical twist of having to save your colleagues from a nasty chemical exposure death.

4. Cave Rescue – Scale a cliff, abseil down into a chamber and then have to treat a casualty, no easy task.

5. Cave Confidence Stand –  If claustrophobic this stand would have been a veritable nightmare, at the end of which a willing volunteer had to negotiate the plunge pool.

6. Casualty Treatment Stand – With all the horrors of having to treat a real life war casualty courtesy of a couple of well-made up simulated casualties.

7. Navigation Exercise – The title says it all.

On conclusion of the day’s activities an evening meal was provided along with night to remember courtesy of the Diva Dolls, a local all-girl group and an improvised dance floor.

Teams participating were Queens University Students, Mater Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Lagan Valley Hospital Emergency Department, Royal Victoria Hospital ICU, Antrim Area Hospital, Craigavon Area Hospital and The Medical All Stars (a mixture of our new candidates, and a few from other Hospitals).

Queens University Students were the overall champions of the day, followed closely by Craigavon Area Hospital.  All teams put in immense effort and found the challenge hugely rewarding.