One of LifeFlight’s newest group of doctors joining the Cairns-based AW139 Queensland Government Air (QGAir) helicopter says his latest role is a return to his Far North Queensland roots.
Dr Ritvik Gilhotra has started at the Cairns base following a week of intensive aeromedical training at the LifeFlight Training Academy at Brisbane Airport.
Dr Gilhotra, who worked at Cairns Hospital previously before moving to work in Wollongong, said Cairns was the place to progress his career.
“My family lives in North Queensland and I went to high school and medical school in Townsville and Cairns, so this is very much home for me,” Dr Gilhotra said.
“At the same time, I’ve wanted to work in prehospital and retrieval medicine for a while, so this is the perfect opportunity for me to hone my skills while serving the community I love.”
Dr Gilhotra said he had some idea of what the job entailed from friends who previously worked at LifeFlight and was impressed by the level of professionalism.
“We airlifted a lady to Cairns Hospital who was 30 weeks pregnant and about to give birth prematurely so in those situations you need to be fully prepared,” he said.
“Fortunately, we got her to hospital in time and she was able to deliver her baby in the hospital rather than the helicopter.
“What I’ve noticed from observing doctors who have worked at LifeFlight is how they are all amazing team leaders and able to deal with rapidly changing situations.
“This is a major benefit of working in the prehospital environment where every day presents new and complex situations.”
Dr Gilhotra said being back in North Queensland enabled him to make the most of the great outdoors with its beautiful waterfalls and hiking trails.
“I’m training for a half marathon so I’m loving the opportunity to enjoy the environment outside of work.”
The Cairn’s ‘local’ will join Dr Justin Jin and Dr Carly Wright to provide emergency care in the region.
Dr Gilhotra is one of 28 doctors about to support communities across Queensland. Before heading out to help people in remote and rural areas, they underwent a week of intensive aeromedical training at the LifeFlight Training Academy.
The specialised Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET), sea survival, rescue winching and clinical scenario training, will enable the new doctors to tackle whatever challenges they may face in the field.
More than 180 medical professionals, including doctors, are employed by LifeFlight, making it Australia’s largest employer of aeromedical doctors.
LifeFlight HUET manager Mick Dowling, said the doctors are trained in scenarios to teach them the primary escape points of an aircraft rapidly filling with water, including simulated darkness.
“It’s important the doctors complete this training to develop escape skills that can then be transferred into an operating aircraft they are working on,” he said.
“It is highly unlikely the aircraft will be in a ditching incident, but aviation best practice requires aviators who are flying over water to complete the HUET training.”
After the doctors were thoroughly dunked, spun, lifted from the water and taught how to survive at sea, they headed to the LifeFlight Clive Berghofer Maintenance Centre for winch training.
LifeFlight training and checking aircrew officer Todd Seymour, said winch training is a crucial part of the job that prepares the new doctors for the unpredictability of the role.
“No two days are the same for us at LifeFlight,” he said.
“The doctors learn emergency checks around the aircraft, winch statics in the hangar and then we go out and put those statics into practice on the field.
“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.
“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.”
The doctors had their clinical skills pushed to the limit at the Queensland Combined Emergency Services Academy, with realistic simulated scenarios in a ship, ambulance, multi-vehicle collision and house party setting.
The new recruits were also taught how to extract a patient from a road accident by Queensland Fire Department (QFD) personnel.
The majority of LifeFlight critical care doctors’ work is performed on behalf of Queensland Health, tasked by Retrieval Services Queensland, within Queensland Ambulance Service.
