Date: 2007-05-17
You are viewing a printer friendly version. If you want to view the original release please click the link below:
Original Article: http://media-newswire.com/release_1049776.html
Distributed by: Media-Newswire.com
Published by: http://www.CENTCOM.MIL
Camp Victory, Iraq - The Iraqi Air Force continues to display its growing capabilities by performing another first - a double patient transfer. Not two months after the Iraqi Air Force conducted its first aeromedical transfer, a Policeman transported from the 28th Combat Support Hospital to an Iraqi treatment facility, two patients were transported together from the 28th CSH to an Iraqi medical facility in Erbil, May 8.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Camp Victory, Iraq - The Iraqi Air Force continues to display its growing capabilities by performing another first - a double patient transfer.
Not two months after the Iraqi Air Force conducted its first aeromedical transfer, a Policeman transported from the 28th Combat Support Hospital to an Iraqi treatment facility, two patients were transported together from the 28th CSH to an Iraqi medical facility in Erbil, May 8.
This is the second all Iraqi aeromedical transfer to move patients from the 28th CSH to Erbil, and the fourth successful all Iraqi transfer to take patients to an Iraqi medical treatment facility for follow-on care.
Both of the evacuees were Iraqi Soldiers from northern Iraq, stationed in Baghdad, who had suffered abdominal wounds and had undergone abdominal surgery in the US hospital.
"The Iraqi's ability to 'care for their own' is much greater than is typically reported," said Maj. Timothy Doherty, Task Force 3rd Medical Command Aeromedical Advisor. "The doctors and pilots that conducted these missions are very experienced."
The mission was flown by Iraqi Col. Samir, 23nd Squadron Commander, and the patients were attended by 1st Lt. Muntdahr and 2nd Lt. Amar.
The transport craft was an Iraqi C-130, fitted for medical missions and patient transfers. The pilots are experienced members of the Iraqi Air Force, who have been flying with the Coalition Air Force Transition Team for about two years, developing processes for approving and executing aeromedical transfer missions.
Transporting Iraqi patients from the 28th CSH to remote northern locations for follow on care can be a difficult process, due to the lack of regular MEDEVAC mission routes from the 28th CSH to go beyond Balad, said Col. John J. Lammie, MD, the Deputy Commander for Clinical Services of the 28th.
"We at the CSH have been aware of the Iraqi Air Force's interest in flying these sorts of missions for some time," said Lammie. "As soon as we identified that these two Soldiers would need to get back to the north, we contacted [Task Force 3d MEDCOM and the MNF-I surgeon office]."
The process began with a joint movement request submitted by Doherty.
Once the medical liaisons coordinated the acceptance of the Soldiers into a hospital near their home in Erbil, the Kurdish Liaison coordinated for the ambulances to transport the Soldiers from the aircraft to the hospital. A 1st Calvary MEDEVAC helicopter transported them from the 28th CSH to BIAP, where an Iraqi ambulance team took them to the airport at New Al Muthana, the Iraqi operated portion of BIAP.
The patients were then loaded into the Iraqi C-130 and flown to Erbil Airport where they were then transferred to two Iraqi ambulances and taken to the Erbil Emergency Hospital.
"This is an important step because it demonstrates the use of Iraqi military assets in casualty evacuation, and paves the way for more robust casualty and medical evacuation systems in the future," said Lammie. "These are crucial steps to identify and improve processes that can endure after the departure of Coalition Forces."
Doherty said the Iraqis are in the process of developing their first group of flight medics. These medics will be from the Iraqi 4th Squadron, which uses Huey IIs, and will be trained to perform medical evacuation and casualty evacuation for all Iraqi forces.
Once these medics are trained, the Iraqi Air Force will be able to manage the patient transfer process from beginning to end. Trained flight medics will also be a key part of Iraqi forces ability to pick up wounded soldiers from the battlefield in the same way Coalition Forces do now, said Doherty.
FOR QUERIES, CONTACT TASK FORCE 3RD MEDICAL COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, MAJOR JOHN HEIL BY E-MAIL AT JOHN.HEIL@IRAQ.CENTCOM.MIL.