The day was about to end well for the commanding officer until the seaman encountered a misfortune. The seaman was getting physically fit while the commanding officer was relaxing. The commanding officer was taking coffee and all was well. All the day's plans progressed as planned. It was just after they had secured a helicopter from, “flight quarters” and after delivery of mails and spare parts when misfortune befell the seaman.
He was severely injured when the restraining collar on the barbell and the weight side fell on him. After a quick medical checkup, it was determined that he was in need of specialized medical care. One of the dilemma that was however eminent was the fear of heights by the injured seaman. He had never flown before and hence, uplifting him was an issue. Besides, he had never received training on being hoisted from the deck. It was also unfortunate that the only individuals that could help in the situation at hand were the trained helicopter crew. Besides, it was anticipated that the next day’s climate would be poor, hence, making any arrangements for the seaman to receive treatment difficult.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Due to the seaman's medical condition and the pain the broken leg caused him, there was a need for arrangements to be put in place. The arrangements were only to be made by the commanding officer and carrier air group commander. Regardless of the seaman's condition, the crew on board was not in a position to treat the injured seaman. Only the commanding officer was entitled to making any decision regarding any medical help that the seaman was to receive.
As the commanding officer, I would instruct the medical officers on board to give the seaman first aid. There is a need to stabilize his leg to avoid further injury. Besides, it is also necessary to administer painkillers to relieve pain before he gets the desired medical attention. This will happen as I organize for an emergency evacuation with the air group carrier. This is possible because, within the emergencies situations, there is a mutual understanding among the involved parties. The aircraft carrier is expected to respond in time to the call by the commanding officer.
Alternatively, regardless of the fact that it was unclear whether it was possible to accomplish a helicopter mission that day, an attempt should have been made to see the possibility of succeeding. At the same time, the fact that the injured seaman has not be trained on how to be hoisted, the actual action of hoisting him should be done with the help of a trained personnel. Once in the helicopter, he could be sedated to reduce the effect that his fear of flying could have on his critical health condition.
The seaman benefits from first aid care administered by the medical officers on board as the flight is being organized. He will be relieved of excessive pain. Also, as the commanding officer, I will benefit because I will fulfilled after undertaking my professional obligation diligently. The seaman’s friends do not benefit from my decision to a large extent. However, they might be encouraged that they will be attended to in the case that they find themselves in such a situation in future. Closely related to the above, the corpsmen and the rest are unlikely to directly benefit from my decision because they are not directly involved in the accident.
