RAF Medical Services personnel had to hit the ground running when faced with a Major Medical Incident on the second day of their deployment to South Sudan.
The RAF healthcare personnel serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan had just taken over the UN field hospital in Bentiu South Sudan, from the Royal Navy, when a Ghanaian UN Peacekeeper troop carrying vehicle was involved in a road traffic incident and overturned into a waterway.
Several Ghanaian Peacekeepers were injured, three of whom were transferred by a medical evacuation helicopter direct to the field hospital for treatment. A further six Ghanaian casualties were treated at the scene before being sent to the Ghanaian Medical Centre.
“Heading into a major-medical Incident within hours of raising the RAF Ensign gave us the opportunity to test-drive the skills acquired during our arduous pre-deployment training. It was a great testament to the team and our training that it went seamlessly”.
Flight Lieutenant Sonia Vanner
The Senior Nursing Officer
The UK manned UN field hospital was initially established early in 2017, to provide secondary healthcare medical treatment, stabilise ill or injured UN personnel and conduct Damage Controlled Surgery in the event of traumatic injuries. The hospital is being led and principally manned by RAF healthcare personnel for the first time in 27 years.
Describing the facility:
“The hospital is surprisingly big and you have to remind yourself occasionally you are inside a tent, it really is amazing what capability we have.”
Flight Lieutenant Sonia Vanner
The Senior Nursing Officer
If required casualties can be evacuated by the UN Aeromedical Medical Evacuation Team which is also provided by the RAF. Casualties are first flown to either Nairobi or Entebbe for onward move to their country of origin when required.
The RAF Doctors, Nurses and Medics are drawn from nine different RAF Units and are deployed under the Tactical Medical Wing based at RAF Brize Norton. In South Sudan the they provide secondary healthcare for over 1800 deployed UN personnel in the event of serious illness or injury.