To ensure the quality and continuous improvement of our services, Thaki Voyage is “on the ball” to kick off 2018 in optimum safety conditions! For the 3rd time in 2 years, we welcome Doctor Emmanuel Cauchy, Director and Founder of IFREMMONT, to train the Thaki team in mountain pathologies, cold pathologies, etc. Indeed, at the end of November 2017, we trained 18 additional guides, all of whom are now “IFREMMONT Medical Correspondents”.
What does it mean to be an “IFREMMONT Medical Correspondent”?
IFREMMONT is the Mountain Medicine Training and Research Institute, founded in 2005 and based in Chamonix. An expert in mountain medicine, IFREMMONT trains French-speaking guides from all over the world to help them detect the warning signs and start taking medical care of their clients.
Thaki Voyage is the 1st local agency in Bolivia to implement this partnership directly with IFREMMONT.
Thanks to this training, we have been able to subscribe to a tele-medicine service, to provide our guides with more tools. We chose the SOS-MAM service (for Acute Mountain Sickness) offered by the tele-medicine company ALTIDOC. This enables guides to contact an expert French-speaking doctor 24/7 in the event of a medical problem. At the other end of the line, the doctors can provide, with the support of the local guide, the necessary medical advice from a distance to improve the customer’s condition.
Thaki Voyage offers its customers travelling at altitude in isolated areas unlimited access to this SOS-MAM platform, to ensure maximum safety during their trip.
How did the training go?
During this 2-day training course, we sought to develop the altitude culture of our guides and drivers to enable them to detect the preliminary symptoms and act accordingly.
An examination session was held at the end of the course to assess the guides’ understanding and to certify their ability to obtain official “IFREMMONT Medical Correspondent” accreditation.
We looked at a number of altitude-related illnesses: acute mountain sickness, cerebral oedema, pulmonary oedema, hypothermia, frostbite, eye burns, heart attacks, injuries, fractures, etc. The aim was to understand the different types of illnesses that can occur at altitude.
The aim was to understand the different grades of these pathologies, the warning signs and the appropriate treatments. In addition, we introduced the essential tools that you need to have with you and, above all, know how to use them optimally: the oximeter (or saturometer), the oxygen cylinder and the hyperbaric chamber (or decompression chamber).
In addition, our guides were given the opportunity to practise first aid techniques, including the lateral safety position (PLS) and cardiac massage.
Finally, a presentation of the different medicines and their actions enabled us to help the guides put together a suitable first-aid kit for their next tours.
How would you sum up this training course?
We are delighted and proud that 80% of our guides are IFREMMONT Medical Correspondents. From now on, our guides will be well equipped and able to react in the event of a problem at altitude.
Here are some pictures of a serious, committed team in a fun atmosphere at the foot of the Cordillera Royale in Tuni, at an altitude of 4450m!
What next for this training course?
The training will continue next year with module 2. Our guides will have the unique opportunity to take part in helicopter repatriation training.
A big thank you to Emmanuel Cauchy and IFREMMONT for all their efforts to train our guides to European standards!
Find out more about how the SOS-MAM service works.
