Stories From Health Workers: Trauma and Landmine Training
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Planet Care
801 Cedar Street
Suite 200
Berkeley, CA 94710
510-594-4027
info@planetcare.org
GHAP doctor Larry Stock gives a hands-on demonstration to backpack medics in his Trauma workshop.The Backpack medics will begin a "flying medic" program this spring. Due to ongoing conflict, only one main surgical referral clinic remains in the Karen area. The flying medics are the best-of-the-best trauma medics. They will be notified of any major trauma victims. They then will rush, as a team, to back up the local backpack team caring for the victim and provide surgical assistance to help save the patient. The North Face backpack donation was used to assemble the prototype trauma back back. Each trauma pack contains the equipment, supplies, and medications to help save victims of war related trauma including landmine injuries. The pack was assembled with materials that are commonly donated, made from local materials, or can be purchased inexpensively by the medics. The concept of the trauma pack incorporated self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
On my first trip I met an incredible medic named Romel. He was a natural leader and teacher. I gave him my Leatherman multitool as a gift before leaving. Upon my return to the boarder 6 months later, Romel showed me photos of how he had saved a man's life by performing an amputation with the Leatherman I had given him. The victim had stepped on a landmine. Most doctors I know would not have had the confidence to do what Romel the medic did to save this man's life. On a subsequent trip were able to give a Leatherman or a Gerber multitool to each medic upon completing the trauma training. This was possible because of the generosity of these two company presidents. These tools, along with the skills we help to teach, are saving lives in the Burmese jungle.
-- Larry Stock, MD
Copyright Planet Care
