LANDSTUHL, Germany — Landstuhl Regional Medical Middle teamed up with German docs and medics for a mass-casualty response drill Thursday that stemmed from a mutually expressed have to work effectively collectively.
Final summer season’s impromptu evacuation effort in Afghanistan entailed using each German hospitals and U.S. navy amenities to take care of refugees who had fled within the wake of the Taliban takeover. Many stayed for weeks in Germany earlier than flying to america to start out new lives.
“Having Afghan evacuees come by means of this hospital was a watershed second for us to have the ability to perceive our true have to combine higher with our host nation,” stated Aaron Harris, chief of neighborhood and world well being engagements at LRMC.
Staffers from three German hospitals and members of the German navy joined American medical employees for the drill, throughout which members evaluated and evacuated sufferers from a mock accident website, transported them to the hospital and handled them.
The train traditionally has been held twice a 12 months at LRMC, with much less German participation, though it was canceled the previous two years due to COVID-19.
“This train immediately is essential to see how the procedures are right here in contrast to those who we’re used to,” stated Dr. (Col.) Erwin Kollig, a director on the German Army Hospital in Koblenz.
The train was designed and deliberate by Military Lt. Col. Ekerette Akpan, chief of readiness integration at LRMC.
He stated that previously, cooperation between the American and German medical communities rested an excessive amount of on particular person relationships.
Akpan and his colleagues are working to make collaboration extra systemic.
“In the event you construct processes to take care of that connection, that communication, then lengthy after I go away, lengthy after our present commander leaves, that relationship continues to be there,” Akpan stated.
LRMC is the evacuation remedy middle for all injured American service members and civilians serving throughout Europe, Africa and the Center East in assist of 4 fight instructions. The hospital additionally treats service members from 56 companion and allied nations.
“As the one medical middle exterior of the continental United States supporting all of the combatant instructions on this area, we now have to be prepared at any given time,” Akpan stated. “And we’re not alone. That’s actually the underside line.”