The first DAN Academy of Dive Medicine in Columbia was recently held at
the Navy Base A.R.C. Bolivia in Cartagena de Indias, Columbia.
Conducted in Spanish, it was a three-day programme designed specially
for Latin-American physicians.
It covered topics like underwater
physiology, freediving, dive fitness, decompression sickness and its
clinical management, management of DCI in remote locations, hazardous
marine life and drowning.
The attendees ranged from doctors, nurses, chamber operators and dive
professionals from South America. There were even participants from the
Colombian Navy who attended the course via satellite link-up.
Dr Matias Nochetto, DAN Director of Medical Programs, said that the
“course was extremely well received and exceeded everyone’s
expectations.”
Conducting the course in Spanish was a plus factor for most attendees.
Although Spanish is a second most common native language in the world,
much of the literature on hyperbaric and dive medicine is currently in
English. Hence, the DAN Academy of Dive Medicine had been organised to
address this issue and ensure that continuing medical education for
dive doctors is available in another language other than English.
DAN has committed to conduct at least one programme every year in Latin
America, with the next one to be held in Chile in 2017.
According to
Dr Nochetto, the organisation was “committed to enhancing the
experience of future events and expanding the programme throughout
Latin America.”
For more information about DAN, see here: www.diversalertnetwork.org - www.daneurope.org
Mares
28th August 2016
Cartagena de Indias - Bolívar, Columbia 
