Timothy Gray from Destination Medicine review of Micro BVM’s products

So Why a Micro-BVM?
Destination Medicine is a unique emergency medical rescue service that specialises in austere medicine and remote access medical services.
The nature of what we do makes our needs specific and we chose the Micro-BVM as it meets our space constraint needs very well.
Since we purchased our first unit we have found more and more needs for the units, especially based on weight and the need to compartmentalise the units as much as possible.

We currently run the Micro-BVM in the following areas of operation within our business:
• Our 4×4 Ambulances and Medical Rescue Units (Space is at a premium as well as a need to keep thing relatively dust free, the packaging of the micro BVM met these needs and exceeded)

• Aquatics Unit – We had a serious space challenge for our aquatics rescue unit as we literally had space for one medical jump bag on the boats. Our solution worked very well here as again we had weather proof packaging, small scale and the fact that the unit is round allows remarkable packing as it fits in both the bottom of a bag or an outer pocket, thus fitting where a traditional mouth piece or face mask would fit for quick use. Something that no other BVM can do.

• 4×4 Quad Bike – We chose the micro BVM again based on size and durability for our medical bag on the quad bike, as always in Africa dust is a major concern, add static electricity to that scenario and we have a fundamental problem keeping equipment clean and usable. We use a STAT pack at present and again the round shape fits neatly into the premade mesh pockets, a very useful trait again is the weight, saving space and weight on an already small unit goes a very long way, this particular bag was our first set up with the Micro BVM and we have had to use the product in some very austere environments, from the top of the Maluti and Drakensberg Mountains to the sweltering plains of the South and West Coast, we have never had an issue and of course the equipment keeps on going. We further noticed that the hard case that protects the BVM takes the nock’s, many of the previous BVM’s would suffer damage from all the rock hopping that is required and usually at speed, the BVM is nicely protected in its case and this has saved us replacing goose necks and the bag fittings that used to break previously.

• Motorbike & Equestrian Medical Bag – A new challenge this year has been the deployment of a single medic on a motorbike and mounted unit, there simply is no packing space on a horse! Steel or otherwise. We chose the Voodoo tactical bags but have to carry everything from medics own water to oxygen and an aed, space is obviously a major concern so the Micro BVM was once again the go -to for this bag.

No matter how you cut it, we love our Micro BVM’s and will use and recommend them for many more years to come.

We have further taken to carrying Micro BVM’s on all our ambulance units, not so much a space saver here but more simply because we just like them, they are also used in our resus centre at our mobile medical centre on site, again saving massive space in our medical tents.

We now carry the BVM’s in our rescue gear as well, space is everything here as you can see below, but it can fit easily in our battle vests and rescue gear jackets.

In conclusion, we did some simple comparisons, showing the space saving we achieve by using these BVM’s. In most bags, we save up to 21cm per unit, that equated to additional hand-held suction unit, airway pouch or diagnostic equipment that was previously strapped on or carried outside the bag causing damage to other items.

For an additional video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUBzTxbk2fY
Destination Medicine
P.o. Box 81271, Parkhurst, JHB, 2120
Tel: 0861-111-138 | +27 78-327-3957
Fax: 086-758-7392
Email: info@destinationmedicine.com
Web: www.destinationmedicine.com