When Dealing With A Major Trauma There Is No Time For Horsing Around
One Tuesday afternoon before the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic in Israel began, a young man was riding a horse along Weisental Street in Petach Tikvah when the horse stumbled, the rider fell off and the horse landed on the man’s leg. The man cried out in pain and a witness called for help.
United Hatzalah volunteer Boaz Carmi was nearby when the alert came in, and immediately raced to the scene on his ambucycle, arriving a few moments later with a fellow ambucycle EMT. Boaz and his colleague found the 22-year-old victim lying on the sidewalk. The volunteers tied the horse securely to a nearby pole. The patient was suffering from numerous wounds to his limbs and a possible fractured leg. Boaz worked to stabilize the man’s limbs and splinted his injured leg to his healthy one. Then the experienced EMT took a full set of vitals. Despite the serious injuries to his lower leg, this young man was lucky to be alive. Had the horse’s hoof impacted the man’s upper body, he would have sustained much more severe injuries. An ambulance arrived and Boaz assisted as the man was placed inside the vehicle for transport to the hospital.
Since the pandemic began, Boaz and all of the United Hatzalah volunteers are actively responding to the resultant public health crisis. With COVID-19 cases rising dramatically in Israel and abroad, our volunteer medics continue to put themselves on the line to provide emergency medical care to anyone in need.
“We arrive at many emergencies on a daily basis. Whether the injuries are caused by an animal or a car accident or an illness, the most important assistance that we can provide to our patients is arriving as quickly as possible, providing quality treatment, and relating to the patient in the kindest and caring manner. Whenever I arrive first on the scene I find the same thing happens. My very arrival and the patient seeing me coming and treating them with care and proficiency already calms them down. In this instance, the man was suffering from incredible amounts of pain. He was barely able to speak, but once I arrived he quieted down somewhat. His pain didn’t disappear of course, but he felt more comfortable knowing that I was there and that I came to help him. That is already a big part of the treatment for any patient suffering a trauma, having them calm down and letting them know that they are in good hands.”
