Saving lives  

In rural and remote Australia, medical care can be limited, with distance making it difficult for emergency health services to arrive quickly.

Dr Alex Sleeman, a rural general practitioner is no stranger to this landscape, providing locum medical services to remote  communities in Western Australia. He has travelled over 100,000 kilometres in the past 18 months. During his travels he always has his emergency trauma kit, the Sandpiper bag in the back of his ute.  

With his family on holiday, travelling from Cape York to Townsville, Dr Sleeman encountered a single-vehicle accident. A Landcruiser rolled at high speed after having blown a tyre, with three occupants inside.

By a stroke of luck, Dr Sleeman arrived at the scene only a few minutes after the accident, making him the sole medical responder.

With his Sandpiper Bag easily accessible, Dr Sleeman was able to manage the situation whilst waiting for the ambulance. He used his kit to provide pain relief to a passenger who had fractured her radius and ulnar, allowing Alex to splint the broken arm. He obtained IV access in preparation for further pain relief when paramedics arrived.