Dubai: The firefighters who rescued 300 passengers and crew of the Emirates EK521 involved in an incident after landing last week received immediate counselling to help them cope with post-traumatic stress, a doctor said on Wednesday.
A rapid response team led by Dr Abdul Razzak Saiyed, a specialist psychiatrist at Majid Al Futtaim Healthcare’s City Centre Clinic in Deira, offered time-crucial psychological aid to the firefighting team.
One firefighter, Jasem Al Beloushi from Ras Al Khaimah, died while responding to the blaze.
“The firefighters had lost their colleague so they were in deep shock because he was a very generous man. He used to help people. Many of them were quite upset after losing him. They were in acute shock, which is a natural human reaction,” Dr Saiyed told Gulf News.
Around 30 firefighters, most of whom were Emiratis, went for the counselling session with Dr Saiyed and his team. They are in their mid-20s and late 40s. A comment from Civil Defence was not immediately available.
Dr Saiyed, who is experienced in disaster management, primarily in counselling and debriefing emergency responders, said the firefighters were suffering from post-traumatic stress. This condition is common among emergency personnel yet is often misunderstood.
“In situations like the EK521 crash response, time really is of the essence. I have the utmost admiration for the firefighters who displayed tireless dedication to the safety of passengers and crew and thank my team at City Centre Clinic Deira for leaping to their assistance,” Dr Saiyed said.
Dr Saiyed said swift and thorough psychological assessments and care are critical in helping mitigate symptoms. He and his team counselled the firefighters in groups and individually based on their need.
“They still had energy and they were ready to do their work but they were down [emotionally]. My part was to listen to them and let them vent their feelings and let them understand that this [death] is a part of life.”
“On behalf of City Centre Clinics, I would also like to express our deepest condolences to the family of the nation’s martyr, Jasem Al Beloushi.”
