Wednesday, December 31, 2003
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Wednesday, December 31, 2003 |
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Chinese health delegation learns how Fayette responds to emergencies By JOHN MUNFORD Health leaders from China visited the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services last week to learn how officials respond to emergencies so the visitors can improve their techniques back home. The group from the Health Ministry of the People’s Republic of China visited a fire station and was shown modern emergency medical equipment and advanced life support techniques. They also toured the emergency room at Fayette Community Hospital and the headquarters of Rescue Air 1, a medical helicopter often used to transport critical patients to hospitals in downtown Atlanta. Hong Li, vice director of Tongji Medical College in the Hunan Province, said through an interpreter that she was impressed with the seamless manner in which emergency services are provided here. In China, there is no central phone system such as 911 to access a variety of emergency services, she said. Instead, residents must use different phone numbers depending on their need. Li said she also appreciated “how fast the system responds.” “In China we have a saying that time is life,” Li said. “Saving time helps us save life.” The delegation also was impressed with the facilities at Fayette Community Hospital, Li said. The group also hopes to institute a communications and tracking system similar to the one used here, Li added. While the delegation also visited emergency services in San Francisco, Denver, New York and Washington, D.C., their visit here provided them with a more rural area to observe how emergencies are dealt with. Fayette County was chosen because of its excellent reputation, which was learned through interpreter John Lin, who lived here for over 10 years, Li said. County Commission Chairman Greg Dunn presented members of the delegation with gifts to commemorate their trip. He told them they were always welcome to come visit and he hoped their visit was the start of a friendship. “It is important to us that you know we are your friends,” Dunn said. That sentiment was echoed by Li as well, who offered to host local officials on a trip to China in the future and presented Dunn with a gift in appreciation of the county’s hospitality. Although the Chinese delegation said they learned much during their trip, local officials said they also learned from their counterparts. “In my career, this has been one of the most interesting and rewarding things I have done,” said Capt. Pete Nelms. Deputy Chief Allen McCullough, who presented them with pins that were replicas of the fire department’s badge, said while the medical challenges faced by China differed slightly from here, both groups are particularly concerned with response to trauma incidents. And despite the differences in language, the Chinese visitors were also able to joke with their local counterparts. A female interpreter told Capt. Steve Folden that all the ladies of the Chinese delegation had come to an agreement. “They all agree you are very good-looking,” the interpreter said as Folden blushed. “In China, they call it cool.”
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