How do you treat massive haemorrhages, airways, chest wounds, and another surgical procedures? Ukrainian rescuers and doctors from peculiar forces learn this in Poland. The course was developed by soldiers of the GROM military unit, but the training is organized by the peculiar Forces Command and NATO peculiar Forces Command.
PETT (Prolonged Evaluation Transport Team) courses for Ukrainian peculiar forces medics have been conducted in Poland for 2 years. So far respective editions have trained dozens of soldiers. Another 1 just ended. “This is not a specified training in the field of combat medicine,” explains the head of the wellness Service of the peculiar Forces Headquarters. – The thought of the PETT course was created in the GROM unit, but the organisation of training is liable for DKWS and NATO peculiar Forces Command. For respective months now, our partners from the United States, large Britain, Finland, Belgium and the Netherlands have been active in the organization of activities, in addition to Polish soldiers," the officer adds. In addition, experts from the University of Rzeszów and the staff of the Military Medical Training Centre from Łódź are active in the project.
What is the uniqueness of this training? According to the Head of wellness of DKWS, during the course Ukrainian specialists learn advanced medical procedures. They will learn the assumptions of the alleged harm Control Resuscitation, the most urgent, advanced rescue actions undertaken by doctors. “We train people who will be able to save lives and aid the injured in the most hard front conditions. Close contact with the opponent, secretly and most frequently under the cover of the night – says the doctor from DKWS.
He stresses that the war in Ukraine overestimated the existing assumptions concerning tactical medicine. "The rules of the TCCC created years ago and providing assistance to victims on the battlefield were sewn to measurement the conflict in Iraq or Afghanistan. There the NATO standards concerning e.g. the golden hr (maximum time erstwhile the victim was sent to the field infirmary – ed.) or evacuation by air utilizing helicopters were met. Ukraine contradicts everything. The front lacks medics, drugs, and the evacuation of the wounded takes hours," explains the officer. Therefore, the cognition of lifeguards and doctors becomes crucial. It's up to their skills to depend on the chances of the wounded surviving.
The uniqueness of the PETT course is demonstrated by the strength of the training. For 3 weeks Ukrainian specialists learn day and night. The proportion of instructors trained is besides impressive: 1 teacher per student. “People with different levels of medical cognition come to us. Both field medics and doctors are here. We request to standardize their cognition and prepare specialists at a very advanced level – say DKWS specialists.
Ukrainians participate in lectures, but the main emphasis during the course is on applicable classes. “We reflect the realities they face at the front. Thus, we presume that 1 doctor will gotta supply assistance to respective or more people – explains the head of the DKWS wellness service. According to PETT's concept, Ukrainian specialists are preparing to be extended during evacuation. – During classes we are based on the MARCHE protocol, but the scope of the proceedings is much more advanced,” says a doctor from peculiar troops. MARCHE is simply a shortcut created from the first letters of English words, which find the order of the actions performed. ‘M’ (from massive bleedings, i.e. massive bleedings) means that soldiers must safe the bleeding site as shortly as possible. “A” (airways, airways) – you request to check if the patient has costly airways and if essential put a nasal throat tube on it. The letter ‘R’ means the request to treat chest wounds. ‘C’ (circulation) — cardiovascular check. The letter ‘H’ (head/hypothermia) is simply a clue to measure whether the victim has head injuries and hypothermia. ‘E’ — this point refers to another activities not previously performed, i.e. an abdominal examination.
– But we're going out NATO schematics so far. We teach that a tourniquet worn to the injured individual for 5 or six hours can lead to limb amputation. We show how to control haemorrhages, we besides talk about complications that can be caused by a colonotomy (invasive method of airway excitation – ed.) in front conditions," the DKWS officer says. – The experience of soldiers from Ukraine is very valuable to us. We usage their cognition and reflection and adjust the patterns of medicine to the realities of the battlefield – he adds. For example, the specialist explains that in Ukraine the alleged walking blood bank does not work. This is simply a procedure of blood transfusion in the field straight from the donor. – Up to a 100 victims go to medical stabilization points a day. Who would give them blood? The fewer medics who take care of them? – the doctor wonders and explains that the best solution is the administration of lyophilised plasma.
What else do specialists learn? They execute interventions on the victim's chest, exercise pleural drainage, treat head wounds, learn how to usage painkillers, and how to deal with hypothermia in victims. – Experience teaches that you cannot cover the injured with NCR foil. Shells and reflections of light will make us an easy mark – explains the doctor from DKWS. Students besides learn how to organize medical points in different places: rubble, basements, ground flooring, and how to evacuate victims utilizing improvised means of transport, specified as private cars.
Training with Ukrainian army besides benefits Polish specialists. Front experiences are utilized to update WS training programmes, including in terms of Tactical medicine and advanced emergency procedures.
