Should a medical exam be required before a major trek?

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-30-2009 @ 10:12AM

nzm said...

Kraig - just to be clear, Paul didn't die while hiking. Yes, he was walking the Kokoda trail, but he suffered the attack at night while asleep in his tent. His guide (also sleeping in the same tent) woke up after hearing Paul having breathing difficulties which he didn't survive.

When taking trips which require a certain amount of strenuous activity, it always pays to prepare beforehand. That’s the responsibility of the person who has chosen to take the trip. They, and they alone, should be accountable for ensuring that they have done all the necessary preparation and have the necessary fitness level.

I'm not sure if this doesn't already happen with some of the tour operators, but once someone books with them, it would be appropriate for them to start the communication immediately - informing their clients on what's ahead; suggesting exercise routines to better prepare them for the journey; placing a stake in the ground as to what would be the minimum fitness level required to complete the tour – e.g. a certain distance covered in a particular time.

Ultimately, it’s a combination of both the tour operator and the client working together to ensure that the adventure will end happily for both parties, but the tour operator should also have the final say on whether they feel that a client presents in a fitness condition that is acceptable to undertake the trip.

Would a medical certificate have helped in Paul's case? Here was a 38yo - reasonably fit, not overweight and he had prepared for 6 months before going on the hike. It's possible that a medical examination may have found something wrong with him, but then again, maybe not. Medical exams are not necessarily the most thorough tests. This also raises the question, that, if something does go wrong for a traveller with a medical certificate, is the medical examiner then responsible for that person's death?

I believe that when it's truly your time to go, then it's time to go. If it's on the Kokoda trail or on the sofa in front of the TV, that's it - lights out!

I’m sure that, as with most cases where someone dies in similar circumstances and not due to any accident or weather mishap , Paul will have died due to some other influence – it wasn’t the trail that killed him. He just happened to be there when it was his turn.

9-30-2009 @ 10:19AM

Kraig said...

Thanks for the clarification Paul's case NZM. It is appreciated.

And I personally tend to agree with you that when it's your time, it's your time, and that could happen anywhere. As I mentioned in the article, an examination may or may not have revealed anything for any of these three young people. Their deaths may simply not have had anything to do with the trail at all, they just happened to be there when it was their time.

Still a physical exam can't hurt and is probably worth doing none the less.

9-30-2009 @ 10:30AM

nzm said...

Hey Kraig

Thanks for the prompt response.

Yes, getting a medical is not a bad thing to do, although when I got a medical for my dive certification, it was purely based on blood pressure and listening to my lungs, as well as an assessment on my physical appearance. Hardly a test that would bring up most anomalies!

But then - it raises the question that I asked above - would the medical practitioner then be held accountable if they signed off on a medical certificate for a person who then died on something like an adventure trek?

The phrase "opening a whole can of worms" comes to mind!

cheers
Michele

9-30-2009 @ 10:43AM

Kraig said...

I'm right there with you Michael. It really does open a can of worms, and it seems like they're looking to make someone ultimately responsible. I don't want to sound callous about three deaths on the Kokoda at all, but when you have 6000 people hiking it each year, there is bound to be some issues.

I'm all for making these treks safer, but I also don't like to see over reaction either. I also happen to believe that we are all responsible for ourselves when taking an adventure trek like this one.

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