Paramedics save the day

The Zone chatted to AEMS Ambulance Services paramedic, Tangi Haufiku, to get a glimpse of the everyday life of a lifesaver.
Yanna Smith
Paramedics and other emergency workers are unsung heroes, who hold the lives of strangers in their hands each day.

Tangi Haufiku (23) is an AEMS Ambulance Services paramedic. He also has experience driving an emergency vehicle.

Haufiku finds driving an emergency vehicle an everyday challenge, because not all road users are obedient when there is an oncoming emergency vehicle on the road. Haufiku grow up in Windhoek and is based in Khomasdal.

He has been working for AEMS for two years and says “it has been a wonderful experience every day”.

The Quantum 2.7-litre is used as emergency vehicles and has proven to have excellent handling while driving at high speeds, and takes curves and turns quite smoothly.

Daily checks are done on the emergency vehicles, which includes checking the mechanical parts, as well as the emergency equipment used by paramedics.

The requirements for driving such a vehicle is a code 8 driver's licence and a professional driving permit (PDP) for transporting people and dangerous goods.

Haufiku would like to study further, in order to gain promotion.

He wishes to obtain his bachelor degree in emergency medical care.

“I take each day as a new challenge and make the best of the new experiences. That is a learning point for future purposes,” says Haufiku.

He plans to enrol at the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) and obtain his BTech degree in emergency medical care.

“The best thing about my job is the gratitude I receive from someone who nearly lost their life,” says Haufiku.



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