Learning how to carry a large adult with a splinted broken leg on a stretcher out of the jungle.
MANY ailments and injuries can occur outdoors, and no matter how much you reduce the risk, accidents still happen.
That’s why learning first aid – and even becoming a trained first responder – is essential if you embark on serious expeditions.
Learning how to carry a large adult with a splinted broken leg on a stretcher out of the jungle.
For most campers and hikers in Malaysia, the risks aren’t too severe, says wilderness medicine and survival expert Brandon Chee.
Since he began training in wilderness medicine in 2005, the most common emergencies he has encountered, in order of frequency, are:
- Scalds from hot water or oil while cooking
- Sunburn
- Food poisoning
- Bites or stings from venomous insects and arthropods
- Leptospirosis
- Hypothermia
- Dehydration
- Sprained ankles
- Cuts from preparing food
- Allergic reactions
- Blisters
“Even a small issue like blisters can become an emergency if you’re not prepared,” Chee explains. “If you don’t treat them promptly, they can get inflamed, infected and become so painful that walking becomes nearly impossible – dangerous if you’re trekking through the jungle.”
A victim with possible back injury must be lashed securely to the stretcher to be kept stable when being lifted along a rough jungle trek.
While most Malaysians can tolerate mild sunburn, Chee has treated Caucasian sea kayakers in Malaysia who, despite using sunscreen, developed large boils after just five hours under the tropical sun.
For outdoor enthusiasts, Chee advises taking first aid and wilderness medicine courses. He is a founding member and instructor of the Wilderness and Austere Medicine Society of Malaysia (WAMS), which was registered in 2022 and consists mostly of emergency doctors.
Wilderness medicine trainees by a lake with Chee (centre).
Chee himself holds several qualifications, including Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness+EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and Tactical Combat Casualty Care-Level 3 Combat Medic certifications.
He is also a King’s Scout and a candidate for the Fellowship in the Wilderness Medicine Society of the United States.
Contents of a first aid kit.
“I wanted to climb a 6,000m mountain in Nepal in 2005, and one of the requirements was to be a certified first responder. After earning that, my interest in wilderness and austere medicine grew,” Chee recalls.
At WAMS, Chee says it’s common for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts to join their Wilderness Medicine Basic Life Support Course, a one-day training session costing RM250 to RM300.
A first aid-kit.
“Even a seven-year-old can learn this, including performing CPR,” he says.
The next level is a two-day course, Wilderness First Aid, for ages 16 and above, costing between RM650 and RM700, depending on location.
Stabilising a broken forearm with a piece of wood.
WAMS also offers more advanced training, such as Wilderness Advanced First Aid and Wilderness First Responder Training, along with professional certifications like Wilderness Advanced Life Support and Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician.
Higher-level courses are tailored to jungle guides, expedition leaders and medical professionals who may find themselves in remote regions where they could be called upon to rescue seriously injured victims.
Using a stick as a splint for a broken shin bone.
These advanced courses include a two- to three-day attachment with an emergency ward, ambulance service or medical support team.
Such training and certifications are endorsed by the College of Emergency Physicians of the Academy of Medicine Malaysia, the Wilderness Medicine Education Collaborative Council and the Wilderness Medical Society in the United States.
For more information, visit www.wamsmalaysia.com.
