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Article by: Sanjana Rajagopal
When we imagine treatment, we imagine fully equipped surgical theaters stocked with state-of-the-art tools and professionals decked in scrubs. We imagine a room with an examination bed, and vibrant infographics lining the stark walls. Treatment in the world of first responders and paramedics is not so clear cut, the patients don’t come to you, you have to go to them. Speed and efficiency are key, but when your patients are also driving at 200 kilometers per hour…
The most visible and well-known part of this intricate system is the F1 medical car, which enters the track the second there is a crash or accident. A sports car, carrying Dr Ian Roberts (FIA medical rescue coordinator), a local emergency specialist depending on the country they’re racing in, and the driver who is an experienced racer. Van der Merwe (professional safety car driver) says “It’s about having the capacity to drive the car quickly enough to get to the scene, stay ahead of the cars on track while maintaining a huge margin of error to deal with the unexpected”.
Practice and training to be an efficient team involves running through simulated incidents in different track conditions and meeting with local specialists and the race marshals of that current race to coordinate rescues. Inside the medical car is a host of equipment: two sets of trauma gear (one for Roberts and one for the local medical officer), two fire extinguishers, and a rescue tool that can cut parts of a Formula 1 car to assist in getting the driver out.
Safety in motorsport has advanced rapidly over the years, the F1 medical car almost unrecognizable since its debut in the 1970s after the death of a driver on track. Advancements like fireproof clothing which includes gloves and the actual race suit, a curved band surrounding the cockpit of the car to protect the driver from direct contact when a car overturns or collides, and driver helmets, has made the life of medical professionals so much easier to rehabilitate drivers after accidents. As any individual working in healthcare would tell you, prevention is always better than treatment.
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