Modern Mining June 2021

REMOTE MEDICAL SERVICES

Protecting and saving lives at mines As mining companies seek to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 and ensure that staff are safe and healthy, engaging the expert services of a medical company may be the answer. With a focus on mobility, US-headquartered Remote Medical International can provide preventative and emergency medical services to employees anywhere on the job site, writes Munesu Shoko .

T he availability of immediate medical response services is a vital requirement for increased health and safety in the mining industry, espe- cially at a time when the world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite all the safety strate- gies, accidents still happen and employees can still contract diseases. Thus effective emergency medi- cal response needs to ensure that further injuries and the spread of diseases can be prevented and those affected receive the best possible medical treatment. With a long history of excellence, Remote Medical International offers comprehensive health, safety and medical support services and training from emergency medical treatment, complex evacuation planning, to routine health screenings. Its global network of healthcare, safety, risk management and logistics professionals work together to help keep employees healthy and safe. The company also offers corporate COVID-19, occupational health, risk management, staffing and assistance services. “Remote Medical International has been at the forefront of COVID testing for mining organisations’ entire workforce since the pandemic began, provid- ing care and guidance to all mining project locations no matter how remote or challenging,” explains Duncan Higham, VP Global Strategy, Remote Medical International.

Global footprint Remote Medical International works with mining companies throughout the world and is expanding its role in Africa with core medical services, highly trained paramedics, doctors and medical trans- portation. The company focuses on building deep relationships with mining companies and their teams on the ground to ensure the services provided meet evolving requirements, particularly with COVID-19. “In Africa, we have worked primarily in West Africa, and currently, we are expanding our ser- vices throughout Ghana, Liberia, Mali and Senegal,” explains Higham. “We understand the harsh mining conditions through our global project history. We continue to offer comprehensive services for all phases of a mining project life cycle.” This includes seamless care through detailed medical emergency response planning, medical audits and continuous testing. “When a patient needs a higher level of care, we will take action through our vetted network of emergency transpor- tation and medical facilities specific to each area of operations including onward evacuation or repatria- tion if necessary,” he adds. In addition to its core services, the company pro- vides a comprehensive range of COVID-19 services. Initially, it assesses an organisation’s specific project requirements and applies updated guidance from

Duncan Higham, VP Global Strategy, Remote Medical International.

Remote Medical’s deep expertise protects health and safety in increasingly remote and challenging mining locations in terms of geography, environmental conditions, political situations, regulatory landscapes and other factors.

30  MODERN MINING  June 2021