The Durban University of Technology (DUT) played host to 35, successful Celebratory Autumn Graduation Ceremonies where 9081 graduates over 12 days were conferred with their Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and Doctorates.
The event also saw diverse people coming from near and far to connect with each other in celebration and jollity of their achievements. With the presence of so many, different people, it can sometimes give way to a few medical incidents.
To ensure the smooth running of graduation, the fruitful DUT Celebratory Autumn Graduation Ceremonies would not have been possible without the vital presence of support staff such as the valued presence of the DUT Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) and the emergency services who helped to deal with any graduation incidents over the sessions.
Lehlohonolo Mokhohlouloane, Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Registered Occupational Safety Manager, explained that his presence along with the emergency personnel at all the graduation ceremonies is to ensure that all safety protocols are observed at all times.
“We are here bringing in the paramedics as well in case there are any serious injuries that sometimes may occur, because we find that people do get excited on stage, and tend to do funny things that get them into trouble. My role as a Safety Officer and along with the emergency personnel in the graduation ceremonies is to take care of any incidents in a speedy way, so that’s basically what we do at all graduation ceremonies,” he stressed.
Emergency personnel from Maponya 911 Rescue, included the General Manager, Mr Lybon Makhubele, Nosipho Mkhize, Sthembiso Cele, Lungelo Phakathi and Ayanda Letsekha. Makhubele, who has 37 years of medical experience under his belt, stressed that an emergency team play an integral role at graduation ceremonies.
He explained that graduates tend to suffer from anxiety on graduation days and get into another mode, which can result in their blood pressure rising or breathing increasing.
“We are here to monitor sessions for such issues as there are times when we do have people going into epileptic episodes, not because they are sick, but because the brain is too excited and the pulse is pulsating more than 100 because of the joy and excitement they are experiencing,” he commented.
He further added that at the sessions his team consists of the basic life supporters who can cater for much and then the intermediate life supporter, a level higher than the basic life supporter.
“I am always around the vicinity should anything arise that is above their level of their training. We have fully-equipped vehicles with all the necessary equipment to deal with the kind of situation of just medical collapses because at graduation there is nothing trauma-related, all related incidents that do take place are mainly relating to medical conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy,” he said.
Mkhize indicated that sometimes parents at the graduation sessions, being excited as the graduates themselves, would forget to eat and that resulted in some incidents where high blood pressure and pulse rates were low, but other than that the ceremonies all went well.
DUT’s Mokhohlouloane also made mention that the sessions at Durban had a few, minor issues like when some ladies with high heels decided to dance and perform traditional dancing on stage, and from time to time found themselves getting injured.
“So it’s a combination of excitement and anxiety, if people are able to control themselves it will help them to celebrate this moment joyously and without any injuries,” he replied.
One of the most problematic issues pertained to people needing to be well-hydrated.
“To us it’s very important to touch on the issue of dehydration, as most of our staff members, who are part of the graduation planning and ceremonies, worked from early hours in the morning till late at night, therefore we encourage people to stay hydrated at all times,” he relayed.
Mokhohlouloane conveyed that there was a staff member who had collapsed during one of the Durban ceremonies because of dehydration.
“That to us was a very serious call, vital staff like the interpreters on stage who are doing interpretations every day for all sessions required to be well-hydrated. The same sentiment goes for the ushers who also need to also be well-hydrated, everyone involved in graduation must have enough strength and hydration to continue for the rest of the graduation ceremonies,” added Mokhohlouloane.
From 25th July 2022 to27th July 2022, he and the emergency team were on standby at the DUT Celebratory Autumn Graduation ceremonies held at the Royal Show Grounds in Pietermaritzburg. All in all, the eight sessions proceeded without any injuries or incidents.
Pictured: Lehlohonolo Mokhohlouloane, DUT’s Safety, Health and Environment Registered Occupational Safety Manager, along with the Emergency personnel, at graduation.
Photography: Samkelo Mlambo
Waheeda Peters
