Tritonia Scientific has reported that they treated 17 divers at their recompression chamber in 2019.
This resulted in 39 hyperbaric sessions, because some of the divers needed several therapy sessions.
Apparently, 2019 was the busiest year in the last decade for the Oban (Scotland) based chamber. Most of the patients were recreational divers; however, commercial divers working at fish farms or in civil engineering were also treated.
Dr Martin Sayer told the 'Oban Times' "this increased level of activity confirms our decision to take over running the facility when it was threatened with closure in 2018."
Threatened with closure
In April 2018, we reported that the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) indicated it could no longer support the hyperbaric therapeutic facility at Dunstaffnage, and it was threatened with closure. The operational management was taken over by Tritonia Scientific to ensure that there was emergency treatment provision for divers suffering from decompression illness.
Maintaining a NHS-registered chamber is obviously of vital importance to many businesses. Martin Sayer
"It is difficult to know if there were any specific factors that caused this increase, but maintaining a NHS-registered chamber on the west coast [of Scotland] is obviously of vital importance to the many businesses that use, or are involved with diving," stated Sayer.
Contact Information
There are three NHS-registered chambers in Scotland: Aberdeen, Oban and Orkney. The Scottish helpline number for anyone involved with a diving incident is 0345 - 408 6008. Ask for the 'hyperbaric doctor.' Alternatively, you can contact the Oban Chamber via the Coastguard on Channel 16.
