Hostile Environment Medicine

Namibia

21 April 2024 12:00 - 28 April 2024 13:00

£2,699.00

17 in stock


Upskill your security and medical skills on this 7-day expedition-based course in Namibia’s remote Ugab River Valley.

Whether you are currently working in hostile environments, a graduate of HEAT courses or considering a future working in hostile environments, this course provides a unique and immersive learning experience designed to help you successfully manage the broad range of challenges found in extreme and hostile locations.

Course attendees will develop their understanding of security, tactical and hostile, and survival knowledge key to working in risk environments. Alongside this you will explore a broad syllabus of environmental and expedition medicine, fieldcraft skills, survival skills and leadership.

Key Facts

You must be one of the following:
• Medical, Allied Health Professional
• Advanced First Responder/Remote Medic
• Student in your final year of study

Dates: 21 – 28 April, 2024
Location: Ugab River Valley, Namibia

Accreditation: TBC
CPD Value: TBC

What’s included:
• Tutoring, accommodation and meals
• Group airport pick-up and drop-off

What’s not:
• International travel costs
• Travel insurance
• Personal equipment

Hostile Environment Medicine

Incorporating security, firearms handling, ballistics injuries, environmental medicine and survival skills, this syllabus is designed to broaden your skillset while building confidence and abilities on hostile and complex remote environments.

Our multidisciplinary team with backgrounds in special forces, security, anti-poaching, humanitarian and expedition medicine will facilitate a week of immersive learning in a remote expedition setting.

What to expect

We will meet at Namibia’s Hosea Kutako Airport and transfer by road to the Ugab River Valley in northwest Namibia, here, we will set up camp, prepare for the week ahead and finish the day around the campfire.

The Ugab River is an ephemeral river and can only be seen above ground for a few days per year. Despite this, it is a significant source of water and a vital resource for species in the Damaraland region, such as the rare desert elephant, giraffe, lions, mountain zebra and the largest population of free-roaming black rhinoceroses in the world. The region is also famous for its stunning rock formations, canyons, and sand dunes.

The area surrounding the Ugab River has limited access to medical facilities, making it a prime location to simulate scenarios where healthcare providers have to work with minimal resources and adapt to challenging circumstances. This hands-on experience prepares participants for medical emergencies in remote or disaster-stricken areas.

The area offers a unique and realistic training ground for a hostile environment medicine course, allowing participants to develop valuable skills and knowledge required to respond effectively in challenging and remote medical situations.

On your first full day in camp, you will learn about common firearms and get a chance to operate firearms on a controlled range under the expert supervision of our team. In the afternoon, we will build on this experience and explore the management and treatment of ballistics and penetrating injuries.

The following days will teach you how to travel, track, survive and stay safe in the bush. As you progress through the course, you will advance your wilderness skills, ensuring transferability to various environments.

Throughout this highly practical course, we will continue to combine medical content covering wilderness trauma and emergencies, primary care, common medical issues, animal and insect bites, stings and envenomation, tropical medicine and more.

What you need to know

The group will meet at Hosea Kutako Airport by 13:00 on day 1, and you will return back to the airport at the end of the expedition.

When making travel arrangements, we find www.rome2rio.com a very helpful site.

Travel insurance is essential and therefore, for your safety and security, we reserve the right to refuse access to an expedition until we have details of adequate insurance cover provided to us. A suitable policy can be booked through https://www.campbellirvinedirect.com/worldextrememedicine/

Kit List

  • 80+ litre duffel bag
  • 30-40 litre rucksack
  • 2 season sleeping bag
  • Sleeping bag liner (thermal if cold sleeper)
  • Foam roll/folding sleeping mat
  • Inflatable sleeping mat
  • 2 x lightweight trekking shorts
  • 1 x lightweight trekking trousers
  • 2 x short sleeve tops
  • 2 x long sleeve tops (loose fit cotton recommended)
  • 1 x fleece
  • Trekking socks
  • Underwear
  • Broad rimmed hat
  • Sunglasses
  • Neck gaiter or scarfLightweight trekking boots
  • Comfy footwear for camp
  • Smart casual clothes for gala dinner
  • LED head torch
  • Water bottles 2+ litres
  • Water bladder (optional)
  • Walking poles
  • Duct tape
  • Water disinfection kit
  • Plastic bags / dry bags

Personal first aid kit

  • Paracetamol
  • Ibuprofen
  • Imodium
  • Antiseptic wipes
  • Wound wash/saline pods
  • Plasters
  • Gauze pads
  • Crepe bandage
  • Zinc oxide tape
  • Adhesive tape
  • Moleskin/compeed
  • Dehydration mix/tablets
  • Small tub of Vaseline
  • Tweezers
  • Scissors
  • Safety pins

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