Special talents are abundant in the Saif Sareea 3 Medical Centre in Musannah, Oman. Not only can the medical staff treat sickness. The full time and reservist RAF staff have a few talents up their sleeves including magic, music and sport, oh…and a few medical skills!
The medical centre, based here in Musannah, Oman, for Saif Sareea 3 is a real life and exercise and scenario based Primary Healthcare Facility, with resuscitation, trauma and aero-med facilities which partner with Omani staff and medical facilities at the Royal Air Force of Oman medical facility in Musannah & the Al Rustaq Hospital.
Air Vice Marshal Alastair Reid, the current Defence Medical Director and an Iraq war veteran, visited the tented medical facility used by the RAF medics saying the fundamental training opportunity provided by the exercise allows theatre entry skills (setting up and running a deployed medical centre) and to ‘relearn old lessons from past deployments' also being able to 'absolutely validate and help retain these skills. We have education, training and learning systems and the opportunity to push the next generation hard to take these skills with them.'
The professional talent of the medical staff is almost outshone by other hidden skills. The medical centre staff have formed a band which has entertained the exercise personnel on several evenings. An RAF Nurse plays rhythm guitar and vocals are provided by a Medical Officer who was a former backing singer for Lulu! Other talents include two female medics who have represented the RAF Ladies Rugby league and Union Teams, also a fairly handy basketball player, the camp barber for the RAF personnel based in Musannah and an amazing certified magician!
Between them they have the ‘magical’ skills to advise how to avoid and deal with snake and spider bites, prevent heat illness and provide essential advice on how to keep healthy in the austere environment provided by Oman’s training areas. A diverse, motivated and capable team, they are essential to the wellbeing of personnel on this exercise and practice their skills with the main exercise on a regular basis.
In May this year, the deployed RAF medical personnel from RAF bases at Lossiemouth, Northolt, Cosford, Cranwell, Waddington and Defence Medical Centre, Plymouth teamed up with RAF Reservists to practice putting together this medical, dental and physiotherapy facility in preparation for Exercise Saif Sareea 3. This brought the talented bunch together including a reservist whose day job is a Royal Mail ‘Postie’ in Birmingham (who carries out his Reserve duties at the former RAF station in Leuchars, Scotland) and a Police Community Support Officer.
“Reserves and Regular staff are working perfectly together, everyone is making the most of this opportunity to work with new people, which includes the Omani Medical personnel who we meet up with regularly to share ideas - they are extremely helpful and have a very high level of medical facilities.”
Squadron Leader Eric Okoji
Medical Officer