Debswana hosts successful First Aid competition
Team Mining B are the overall winners of the 2017 Debswana First Aid Competition that was held in Jwaneng recently. Mining B managed to beat stiff competition from 11 other teams within Debswana mining company.
The other 11 teams, consisting of six members each included Security, MMJV, Health Services, Engineering A, Engineering B, ACACIA, Mining A, Mining B, Ore Processing A, Ore Processing B and MRM. The games held at the Debswana club saw the teams made up of Debswana employees tackle different scenarios where they had to administer swift First Aid assistance to colleagues who were lying on the floor simulating different injuries.
The team tests included five different scenarios where participants had to administer different First Aid techniques before the watchful eyes of several judges. The last part of the interdepartmental games was a simulation test where several plant operators were injured while on duty. Speaking after their victory, Mining B captain Otlaadisa Shadrack said they have been preparing for their victory for a while. We have been prepared for this for three years.
“We now have two teams in Mining B and Mining A in position one and two respectively. Shadrack said they had to work hard both practically and physically. This is an incentive to work even harder as we have won this as Jwaneng mine,” he said. In an interview following the conclusion of the games, Debswana General Manager Albert Milton said competition was tough in this year’s edition of the game. “The teams were well prepared and it is my firm belief that First Aid continues to grow not only in the mine but society at large.” Milton said First Aid is important as it can be the difference between life and death. The Debswana boss explained that First Aid is part and parcel of the community and experience in such a field will be beneficial. Milton said team Jwaneng will be going to the next stage and compete in the national First Aid competition scheduled for Morupule mine in Palapye in October. For his part, competition Chief judge Dr Mwamba Nsebula said the margin between the winners and other teams was getting smaller and smaller every year. There are only small slips in managing their patients. Dr Nsebula said they focused on how the teams work together and how they managed their patients. We have told the judges not to be kind and be as harsh as possible. The third position went to Engineering A while Ore processing A secured fourth place.