Related content:
The most frightening thought of all highway: Bus close to the highway We’re not heroes: Three teens did what had to be done A united approach: Emergency services make sense of the chaosWhat a response: Hospital boss praises his staff
The aftermath: Wednesday’s coverage
School bus crashes: Tuesday’s rolling coverage
TRIPLE triage was needed at Port Macquarie Base Hospital on Tuesday night to treat 37 patients, with hospital spokesmen praising the remarkable response by their staff.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The hospital’s general manager and network coordinator, Robert Pegram, said extra staff were called into the hospital to assist throughout the afternoon and evening.
Nursing and medical personnel were involved in assessment and treatment of those with acute concerns, while social workers and other staff contacted the family of patients.
The gargantuan task did not daunt those waiting to assist at the hospital, Dr Pegram said.
The process of triaging the patients used a system of classification, similar to the colour tags used by paramedics to coordinate efforts at the crash site.
“The training kicks in and the staff just mobilise,” he said. “We’re lucky because we have exceptional staff who are always ready to go. I am honestly the conductor of a truly skilled and talented orchestra.”
The Mid North Coast Local Health District’s chief executive, Stewart Dowrick, said he witnessed the impressive spectacle as the emergency department welcomed a mass of patients.
“I was fortunate to be at the base hospital at the time, and the staff were incredibly professional and very calm in a difficult situation.”
