After working near the Arctic Circle, Swedish doctor Stefan Sjödin has flown across the world to work as one of LifeFlight’s newest critical care doctors in Bundaberg.
Swapping snowy Sweden for sunny Queensland, the new retrieval registrar said he’s used to working in much colder conditions.
“I normally work in the northern part of Sweden, close to the polar circle, with not a lot of chances to work as a retrieval doctor,” Dr Sjödin said.
“To be able to work in a climate like Australia and work on a retrieval service, it was too good not to.”
Dr Sjödin is one of 30 doctors about to take flight to help communities across Queensland and beyond after completing rescue-ready training in Brisbane.
One of Bundaberg’s newest residents, Dr Sjödin said it’s already starting to feel like home.
“It seems like a very beautiful place with nice people and I’m very interested in the local history and getting to know the people,” he said.
He will join Doctor James McEwan at the LifeFlight Bundaberg base.
Dr Sjödin completed a week of intensive aeromedical training at the LifeFlight Training Academy in Brisbane in preparation for the new role.
The program put the new doctors to the test through clinical scenarios, winching, Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET) and sea survival, helping ensure they are rescue ready from day one.
During HUET, the retrieval registrars were taken through multiple scenarios simulating a helicopter crash into water and how to safely exit the aircraft.
LifeFlight HUET Manager Mick Dowling said the specialist training gave doctors the necessary skills to work safely on board a helicopter.
“Our mission is to have the doctors skilled with the confidence to be able to deal with any aviation situation that they may be faced with,” he said.
“The common response we get from them after the completion is that it was challenging and uncomfortable, but overall, an amazing experience.
“It’s highly unlikely the aircraft will be required to be ditched into the water; however, all crew are trained should they face that situation.”
After being tumbled upside down through the water and learning how to survive out on the open water, the doctors were taken through winching procedures.
LifeFlight Deputy Chief Aircrew Officer Todd Seymour said the winch training prepared them for the unpredictability of the role.
“The doctors learn multiple exercises. They learn how to be winched out of the aircraft by themselves, how to be winched out of the aircraft with a rescue crewman or paramedic and learn how to accompany a stretcher into the aircraft,” he said.
“They’re going to remote areas across Queensland and they could be in dense bushland or out to sea off a cruise ship, so it’s important they’re delivered the training they need to perform these roles to a high and safe standard.
“No two days are the same for us at LifeFlight.”
The doctors also had their clinical skills pushed to the limit at the Queensland Combined Emergency Services Academy, where they responded to realistic, simulated scenarios including a multi-vehicle collision.
Queensland Fire Department (QFD) personnel also taught the new recruits how to safely extricate a patient from a road accident.
LifeFlight is the largest employer of aeromedical doctors in the country with more than 180 medical professionals.
The Bundaberg-based aeromedical crew helped 518 people in the past financial year, up 69.2 per cent on the previous period.
LifeFlight came to the aid of 8,982 people last year – helping nearly six per cent more people than the previous year.
The majority of LifeFlight critical care doctors’ work is performed on behalf of Queensland Health, with missions tasked by Retrieval Services Queensland within Queensland Ambulance Service.
