 It is all very well designing and building medical kits but if the sailors do not know how to use them then we have failed in our plan of empowering them in self sufficiency.
One of the slightly tricky problems for us is remembering what it is that we knew about medicine when we were sailors and not doctors as it is easy to assume a degree of knowledge in excess of reality when teaching sailors to become “medics” We have however over the years hopefully found a good formula and programme of teaching which will enable the “medics” to use the medical kit with a degree of confidence backed up by some sound knowledge but also the understanding of when to call for help. We have run small group teaching with 6-8 sailors and do either a one or two day course with a mixture of didactic lecturing and practical work. We would hope everyone leaving the course will be able to suture, insert an IV canula, give intra muscular injections and apply strapping and even a cast if required
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