Rural and Remote Retrieval Weekend
Dr Shuaib Ellahi is fascinated with medicine that is out of the ordinary.
Rural Health West’s Rural and Remote Retrieval (RRR) weekend held in May 2024 gave him exactly that.
Held annually at one of WA’s most spectacular locations, Karijini National Park, RRR provides participants the opportunity to learn about emergency medicine management in a remote and rugged environment with limited resources.
“This is the first hands-on course I have attended of its kind and I was able to put my newly learned skills into practice only a few nights after returning from the course” said Dr Ellahi.
06 November 2024
TO
Everyone
No matter where you are
FROM
Rural & Remote Australia
Rural and Remote Retrieval crew, with Dr Ellahi the 3rd from the right
Soon after returning from RRR, Dr Ellahi was able to manage an emergency scenario in a restaurant while off duty and out for dinner.
“At RRR I learned there is more adrenaline in an Epipen than what is administered in the initial dose,” said Dr Ellahi.
“While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, I tried to break open the Epipen to administer a second dose. I wouldn’t have known to do that before.”
Dr Ellahi is an experienced general practitioner who also works in emergency medicine.
RRR is ideal for doctors like Dr Ellahi to practice managing stressful emergency scenarios locations where access to equipment and other resources are limited.
Speaking of his experience at Karijini, Dr Ellahi said “I often wondered why it would take so long for patients to be transferred out of locations like this, but now I understand.”
RRR allows participants to realise that while distance can prove challenge, it should also be no obstacle to delivering quality care. The unique weekend also provides great networking opportunities in a picturesque location.
“It was great to be able to network with different people doing different jobs,” said Dr Ellahi.
“Finding out what people do in different locations dependant on resources and patient demographics was a great benefit.”
“The location was phenomenal, as was working together in a team to achieve the same goal.”
RRR has been held for the past 13 years and has been a popular event, each year drawing in more and more disciplines of health professionals who deal with emergency medicine in their roles.
In 2024, RRR was host to several flight nurses from the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), paramedics, general practitioners, and emergency medicine doctors.
Throughout the weekend, participants are guided by highly experienced emergency medicine practitioners who map out a thrilling schedule of emergency scenarios they must work through as a team during the day, against the stunning backdrop of the Pilbara’s rugged gorges.
By night, participants can debrief and network with their colleagues under the stars, which as Dr Ellahi has described, is a highlight of the weekend.
For more information about professional development opportunities in rural WA, visit www.ruralhealthwest.com.au/events
