Recently On-Set Medical were tasked to provide medical support to a major motion picture being produced in the pacific islands. This was no easy task as the country had limited information about existing health infrastructure and general health intelligence.
The production took over 200 western crew and employed over 100 local crew members for a period of 3 months, the task was to provide emergency and primary health care capabilities in remote pockets of an island nation as well as at sea.
On-Set Medical has a history of providing this high level of support to operate almost independently from local infrastructure. We deployed with a three week sustainment of supplies to ensure ample time to establish resupply chains whilst minimising logistical/security requirements.
Environmental preventative medicine was also tasked to us with the establishment of vector control processes to minimise the potential for vector bourn diseases such as dengue which was endemic in the region.
The harshness of the climate and the remote environment provided many challenges to us during the production. We encountered a diverse range of clinical presentations raging from marine envenomation's to multi system traumas and cardiac episodes. This meant out unit nurse/paramedic was extremely busy. Our Tele-medicine consultation system allowed for clinical consultations with practitioners back in Australia to ensure optimal treatment and all avenues were explored before exploring the need for evacuation out of country.
The challenges that were experienced allowed us to greater increase our capacity to deploy with a highly mobile and diversely capable set of skills and equipment. We have the capacity to make an improvised intensive care ambulance and transfer that capability aboard a RHIB within minutes and operational within an hour.
Our vast experience within the military and in austere environments prepared the clinician for the task at hand, often long hours and a 24/7 on call service was utilised ensuring that zero interruption to the shooting schedule was achieved at the completion of the contract.
On-Set Medicals unique approach to the typical "unit nurse" crew member proved to be invaluable to the production.