Wednesday was no ordinary day for ACEM trainee Dr Shannon Townsend and FACEM Dr Randall Greenberg.

That’s because the two took part in welcoming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Dubbo (pictures below).

The Dubbo-based doctors met the Duke and Duchess in their official capacity with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). Dr Greenberg, who is a Rural, Regional and Remote Committee member and also heads up Dubbo’s Emergency Medicine Education and Training (EMET) program, is the RFDS NSW Chief Medical Officer.

Dr Townsend said it was a “huge honour” to speak with them about the retrieval work she does at the RFDS, which is ACEM accredited for Special Skills Placements (Pre-Hospital & Retrieval).

“I was initially very nervous, however, the Duke and Duchess were so personable and relaxed that their demeanour eased my nerves early on,” Dr Townsend said.

“I spoke to them initially about some of the equipment we take on the Emergency Retrieval Aircraft in order to commence the diagnostic and treatment process in the pre-Hospital environment. They were interested in the equipment we used, including portable ultrasound, video laryngoscopes, and drug packs. They were also very impressed that all of this equipment and the funding of the RFDS had come about as a result of donations from the community and the work of our volunteers in fundraising.”

The Duke and Duchess took the opportunity to ask Dr Townsend how long she had worked for the RFDS and the type of training she had undertaken in order to work in retrieval medicine.

“It was a privilege to be able to share with the Duke and Duchess my enthusiasm for retrieval medicine and working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service,” Dr Townsend said.

Dr Greenberg said: “It was a great opportunity to showcase our 24/7 service and what we do. We provide emergency medicine for most of western New South Wales as well as providing GP and primary health services.

“Our focus is on using critical care registrars and specialists to provide retrieval medicine, and EMET fits in well with the RFDS because we go out and do training at the remote sites where we actually go and pick up critically ill patients, sites like Bourke and Lightning Ridge that either has a nurse only or a GP who may not have critical care skills.”

Dr Greenberg added: “The Duke and Duchess were easy to get along with, they asked appropriate questions, and I was particularly proud to have Shannon, who is one of our trainees and grew up in Dubbo, presenting to them.”

Dr Greenberg also told his local paper, the Daily Liberal, there was great anticipation about the visit, and paid tribute to the RFDS team.

“The staff work really long hours, often have to work after their allotted time finishes because if someone’s critically ill, you’ve got to go and get them even if it’s at the end of your shift,” Dr Greenberg told the paper.

“That’s doctors, nurses and pilots, and the poor old engineers get called in at all hours to fix the planes.

“So it’s terrific what they do and it’s nice for them to showcase some of what they do.”

Below pictures: ACEM trainee Dr Shannon Townsend and FACEM Dr Randall Greenberg meet Prince Harry and wife Meghan     Credit: Penny Bradfield/Auspic/DPS 




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