Image Gallery 2009
07 May 2009
CONTROLLED pandemonium
The trauma bays at the Kandahar Airfield Role 3 Hospital are buzzing with surgeons, medics, scribes, runners, X ray techs, escorts, interpreters and aircrew.
The hubbub is directed towards two Afghan civilians, flown in on an afternoon Aeromedical Evacuation.
The newly arrived Australian medical officer at KAF, SQNLDR Andrew Pearson, is in the thick of the chaos, cutting through bandages that wrap a malnourished teen’s legs.
The youth has been flown to the Role 3 by US AME flight with an adult civilian suffering chest pains. The two Black Hawks had flared onto the airfield, kicking up dust in the afternoon light.
SQNLDR Pearson confers with a Danish colleague who lifts the emaciated legs and examines the burns. Discomfort plays across the youth’s face, but he is subdued.
Two Canadian radiology techs stand behind the trauma bays, but they are relaxed.
“We usually get used for the crazy trauma,” one says. He is philosophical about his job.
“If I sit on my butt for the next six months, I’ll be happy with that. It just means it’s good for everyone else.”
SQNLDR Pearson is not the only Australian at KAF. Two medics, CPL Megan Hoey and CPL Angela Dare are regulars in the trauma bays. Although they are not posted to the hospital, they help out whenever they can, in addition to their primary duty of providing medical support to Australian personnel at the base.
CPL Dare takes clinical notes as a Canadian surgeon interviews the adult civilian about his chest pains.
The US aircrew buzzes around the trauma bays for a moment. They are weighed down by flight gear and armour, and their footfalls thump through the ward.
The hospital is the busiest in Afghanistan and the second busiest in the MEAO. Thirty-five per cent of its cases are combat trauma.
The past few days have been relatively quiet, however, and all trauma arrivals have been Afghans.
The trauma bays were quiet when the Australian medico treated the first AME case of his tour; a youth with what appeared to be a hernia.
SQNLDR Pearson cracked on without fanfare.
“How are you going?” he asked.
The Canberra native replaced fellow RAAF medico FLLT Terry Nash in early May.
“We handle the highest percentage of combat trauma compared to any other field hospital in the MEAO,” FLLT Nash said before departing KAF.
“Working in an air conditioned office in Kandahar, you can forget that 25km away there are troops in contact, that bombs are being dropped 40km away.”
NZ maxillo-facial surgeon MAJ Darryl Tong praised the outgoing RAAF medical officer.
“He is the go to guy for trauma team leaders. It is nice for the guys down under to have Canadians and Yanks coming to him for advice,” MAJ Tong said.
“He can be my doctor any time. We don’t know how lucky the ADF is to have FLLT Nash.”
| 20090305adf8239716_009 Royal Australian Air Force Medical Officer, Squadron Leader Andrew Pearson, treats a contractor for chest pain at the Role 3 Medical Facility, Kandahar, Afghanistan. (Date taken: 05 April 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090305adf8239716_027 Australian Army Medic, Corporal Megan Hoey mans the Role 1 Regimental Aid Post (RAP) within Camp Baker, Kandahar Airfield. She also offers assistance at the Role 3 Hospital to gain experience in trauma medicine. (Date taken: 05 April 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090305adf8239716_077 Royal Australian Air Force Medical Officer, Squadron Leader Andrew Pearson, and a member of the coalition trauma team treat a patient at the Role 3 Medical Facility, Kandahar, Afghanistan. (Date taken: 05 April 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090305adf8239716_091 Royal Australian Air Force Medical Officer, Squadron Leader Andrew Pearson (R), treats an Afghan youth for severe burns as Australian Army Medic, Corporal Megan Hoey (L) takes clinical notes on the procedure at the Role 3 Medical Facility, Kandahar, Afghanistan. (Date taken: 05 April 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090305adf8239716_095 Royal Australian Air Force Medical Officer, Squadron Leader Andrew Pearson, treats an Afghan youth for severe burns at the Role 3 Medical Facility, Kandahar, Afghanistan. (Date taken: 05 April 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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