Hyperbaric Guru Teaches Bonaire’s Medical and Diving Pros
From September 18 through 22nd, 2006, Buddy Dive Resort hosted a five-day course in hyperbaric oxygen treatment organized by the Foundation Deco Chamber Bonaire.
Since this is not an every day event, Bonaire’s leading dive physician, Mr. Dick van der Vaart, MD, decided to invite the absolute expert in this field, Mr. Dick Rutkowski of Hyperbarics International Inc. to conduct the seminar. Mr. Rutkowski, retired as deputy diving coordinator from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where he trained over 600 physicians in hyperbaric training programs, is world famous in the dive industry as the co-founder of the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD).
The group of students that consisted of doctors, nurses, and chamber operators were given the opportunity to learn the most detailed theories on decompression incidents and oxygen treatments as well as the latest information on hyperbaric chambers. During long morning hours, the students were pushed to limits in the classroom and in the afternoon hands-on training sessions followed in and around the hyperbaric chamber on Bonaire.
While Mr. van der Vaart was teaching doctors and nurses inside the chamber during simulated treatments, outside, the operators had to deal with several unexpected problems thrown at them by long time chamber technician Ronald Simonis. At the same time, Mr. Rutkowski held supervision over “the battlefield” as he realized, with a big smile on his face, that he had succeeded in passing on a great deal of his knowledge and experience.
The use of a hyperbaric chamber is a vital tool in modern medicine. Bonaire’s tourists, diving community and the island’s people will be very pleased to know that another milestone has been reached on the road to safe chamber treatments with the certification of 13 hyperbaric experts. (Source and Image by: Martijn Eichhorn)
It’s would be nice if there was a course like that in every resort that may face problems like post diving decompression. A trained staff is what you need in case of an accident.
Posted by on June 19, 2007 at 5:53pm AST
