By Lesley-Anne Henry Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Sixty-two part-time soldiers from Northern Ireland were today gearing up for a three-month deployment to Afghanistan.
The Territorial Army reservists from 204 Squadron (North Irish) Field Hospital are being mobilised to the war zone in July to provide much needed medical assistance at the British Army's biggest base in Helmand Province.
More than half the squadron is made up of staff from the five health trusts across Northern Ireland.
A total of 38 medical professionals including ambulance drivers, nurses and surgeons are among the volunteers, a further 21 reservists are employed by non-health care organisations and three are regular soldiers.
According to the Ministry of Defence they will provide the majority of help at the medical group hospital in Camp Bastion and will be working alongside other TA and regular units from across the UK.
They will be working in one of the most intense environments on the planet and staff will not only have to deal with horrific battlefield injuries but also the more routine workplace accidents and bouts of sickness.
Casualties are not restricted to coalition forces but also include the Afghan National Army, Taliban and civilians.
Whilst deployed the reservist will be working in a purpose built and recently upgraded hospital facility. Housed within the hospital is all the equipment found in a normal NHS Hospital — everything from syringe drivers to Cat Scanners.
Among those travelling to the Afghanistan is Commanding Officer Colonel Iain Moles, who works as a GP in civilian life.
He told the Belfast Telegraph: "This deployment is the culmination of a year of hard preparation, and I have every confidence that we will deliver high quality medical and surgical care to the British and coalition forces."
Also among those going to war is Lieutenant Colonel Davy Heron, an A&E nurse at the Ulster Hospital who will be Officer Commanding Nursing Squadron, and Captain Carly Thompson, an ITU nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
The reservists will be mobilised during the weekend of June 27 at the Reserves Training and Mobilisation Centre at Chilwell, Nottingham.
There they will receive administration briefs, medical inspections and their basic military skills will be assessed.
They will have a week of theatre specific training before moving to the Army Medical Services Training Centre in York for further training a Hospital Exercise (Hospex) the aim of which is to bring the reservist together and allow them to work together in their specific departments.
All members of the hospital are put through their paces with simulated casualties, who themselves have experienced some form of trauma.
There are currently 120 infantry reservist from The Royal Irish Regiment's 2nd Battalion on a six month deployment to Helmand Province.
