In south-east Asia, many devices on ambulance board are manufactured and projected in Italy. Here are the equipment used also in a rescue mission that is holding the entire world’s breath.

 

BANGKOK – More than fifty qualified divers from all over the world and the brave Thai Royal Navy Seal have been working in the turbid water of Tham Luang cave complex, located in the north of Thailand, to rescue all young soccer players.

The “wild boars” and their coach have been brought out of the Tham Luang cave alive and in decent health conditions.  This is not a miracle, this could have been possible only thanks to technologies and extraordinary skills of those rescuers.

But there was not only the engineer Elon Musk with his team at Tham Luang realizing suitable rescue pods for saving the boys. There have also been decades of emergency devices development, like oxygen tanks and transportation systems used in the last hours to make a so-called “miracle”, while it is a system of sharpening human skills and equipment.

In this part of the world, among the several SAR teams, there is a piece of Italy. All Thai ambulances are equipped with devices made by Spencer, the Italian company specialized in emergency and medical devices manufactured for transportation, oxygenation, and immobilization of patients. On the tiny and efficient Thai ambulances, the main equipment comes from Italy.

“To rescue people in safety and assure an always improved service during operations, is necessary choosing products born and projected to be used in all conditions. – explains Tarach Sukontharat, International Director of Promedic, ambulance manufacturer in Thailand. – That is why we choose stretchers and devices made by Spencer, which offers a complete service for ambulance products.”

Stretchers – used to take boys out of the cave and that equip the Royal Thailand Police ambulance fleet – are Carrera Pro stretchers, projected to work without fatigue of the operator, even when the ground is arduous, awkward or – as Tham Luang cave – muddy and slimy.

“When someone chooses a stretcher made by Spencer, the prize is that they are devices studied to be easily used by any rescuer, assuring a quick transfer, comfort for the patient and a maximum safety of the device“, explains Mathieu Gazard, Spencer area manager in Asia.

Spencer also produces immobilization devices, which are very useful in case of trauma patient to be transferred. Again in Thailand, for example, ambulances are equipped with Baby Go paediatric spineboard
to transfer patients with rachis trauma. A device projected by the Italian company in 2011 and which collected several prizes for its innovative system of children immobilization, according to their growth and height.

“We are all very proud of Baby Go spineboard – explained Enrico Berti, Spencer Research and Development department manager, – because it gathers different needs of the operators in paediatric emergency field. First of all, it is a device that allows to immobilize correctly a kid up to 120 cm height, without thinking of blankets or pillows to balance the kyphosis of the patient. Then, when Baby Go is combined with Tango spine-board, it solves storage issues of tools on ambulance board, saving space and improving the organization.”

The presence of Spencer in Thailand is longstanding, as in many other countries in the world where this brand is well-known and requested by emergency operators, paramedics, nurses and EMTs: “Our products are well-known for their innovation and the attention we give to both transportation and patients’ safety“, – explains Antonio Ciardella, Spencer Sales Manager, – “Each Spencer product that is installed on ambulance board are tested and 10G certified, i.e. they resist shocks even in case of accident, according to the most advanced European Regulations. It is one characteristic that let our company sell medical transportation and oxygenation devices in more than 100 countries in the world, ensuring to all emergency medical operators the top-of-the-range devices in utilization and safety, even though different educational standards.”

Asian ambulances are typically equipped on LCV (Light Compact Vehicles) like Toyota HIACE, with a patient compartment integrated with the vehicle (4.43 meters length, 2.28 meters height). The maximum weight transported is not over 2 tons (2.110 kg) so it needs a light, compact and longlasting equipment. This is why on Thai ambulances we find Carrera stretcher, 4BELL transport and evacuation chair, and oxygen, monitoring and control systems made by Spencer in Italy, which tests and guarantees its products according to European, American and Asian Regulations. Nowadays thanks to these innovations, technical rescue operations we never thought to be successfully applied before, are possible.