Rush hour for the Kings Heath medics in Afghanistan
Jun 4 2009 by Paul Bradley, Birmingham Post
"We have had up to nine serious casualties all come in at once and that is when you are really tested. You are in a position where you need to think clearly and quickly and that’s when the adrenalin kicks in, the buzz gets to you and you really find yourself on a high.
“Sometimes we’ll get woken up in the middle of the night to deal with extremely serious trauma injuries. That may sound tough – and it is – but we all come from NHS backgrounds so we are used to getting ourselves into action at strange times.
“But the way we get through it is by working as a team. We are all very close professionally, and the teams work for each other. It couldn’t operate any other way.”
A complex computer system keeps the hospital up to date with operations involving British troops. If red writing appears on the screen they expect patients imminently.
The mental and physical strain put on the doctors and nurses is immense. They are used to seeing severe injuries and dealing with death. But in Afghanistan, unlike the NHS, the injuries are almost always to young men who are otherwise fit and healthy.
Seeing them die, when they are at the peak of their life, is an excruciating experience.
“Operation minimise is now in effect” the loudspeaker booms across the desert camp.
The mood of the British base changes instantly. The disconnection of communications to the outside world signals an all-too-common part of life in Camp Bastion. A soldier has been killed or seriously hurt and nobody can make contact with home until the family has been informed.
Since my arrival in Afghanistan less than a week ago, three British soldiers have died.
Fighting may worsen in the coming weeks as major combat operations increase.
Staff at the base hospital, which is run by the Territorial Army unit Kings Heath 202 Field Hospital, expect a spike in the number of casualties in the next few months.
If you speak to soldiers here they will tell you their greatest fear. Even more frightening than death is the prospect of losing a limb. Even more frightening than being shot is the possibility of stepping on a roadside bomb.
Bombardier Mark Leinster, from the Royal Artillery and recovering from a serious leg injury, said: “It’s an extremely humbling experience being treated in this hospital. You know guys have come through with some horrific injuries. Many have lost arms or legs.
“I was involved in an operation where we seized a compound that was being used to make dozens of roadside bombs. It was a huge morale boost to us because we knew they wouldn’t be used now and that we weren’t going to be hurt by them. But at the same time it was a real shock.
“It just went to show the capabilities the insurgents have.”
> Angels in extraordinary circumstances - Paul Bradley's Afghanistan blog
