Navy Medics face life and death testing

17 November 2010

As the helo took off, the Medic set to work. Working in the deafening noise and semi darkness, she raced against the clock. This was the ultimate test of her medical skill. Only time would tell if the patient lived or died.

Navy medics participate in a Rotary Wing Aero Medical Evacuation exercise using a Sea King helicopter

Fortunately for this Navy Medic, and many others like her, the scenario played out above HMAS Albatross wasn’t using real people. But it was about as real as you could get.

Exercise Bluestokes is a first for Navy. The officer in charge, Commander (CMDR) Keith Johnson says it’s the first time Navy’s Health Services have been able to gather together a group of full-time and part-time health professionals and deliver a consolidated training package.

“We were also very fortunate to have Air Force agree to send a detachment of aeromedical evacuation instructors to Albatross,” CMDR Johnson said. “They delivered a realistic Rotary Wing Aero Medical Evacuation (RWAME) module in this critical area of deployability pre-requisite training.”

There were a number of high end health training modules, many within the comfort zone of participants. The Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET) and RWAME modules however, took many outside their comfort zones.

Part-time health professionals in particular, used to working with more lavish training aids provided in large civilian hospitals, took time adjusting to less sophisticated more militarised aids. Participants also received training in less routine combat medical scenarios.

The Deployed Surgeons Obstetrics and Gynecology module received unreserved praise from participants.

Live models, birth canal training aids, proper scans and the presence of very experienced sonographers provided totally realistic training, providing participants with the confidence to deal with more ‘unusual’ situations they might encounter during humanitarian missions or on deployment.

The Bluestokes concept proved so appealing to Navy’s Health professionals that it was initially oversubscribed by 30 part-time and 10 full-time members. As for future courses, CMDR Johnson remains hopeful.

“That’s for others to decide but, watch this space!” he smiles. “We’re definitely hopeful of a Bluestokes II in the not too distant future.”