The Romanian 'Carpathian Pumas' airlift helicopter detachment from the Mali theater of operations executed, on Sunday night to Monday, a new air medical evacuation mission (MEDEVAC) in support of a UN soldier on the ground, as part of an Egyptian convoy, informs a press release of the Ministry of National Defense (MApN) sent to AGERPRES.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, the IAR 330 L-RM helicopter, in MEDEVAC configuration, took off to the indicated place in less than 30 minutes from receiving the request, and the landing for taking over the patient was carried out at the convoy's stand at that moment, in open ground, unmarked.
"One element to consider was the lack of light, but the Brightnite night vision system helped us to have good visibility on the route and to identify the landing site," said Captain-Commander Costel Ciobanu, the pilot-in-command, as quoted in the release.
While traveling by aircraft, after being picked up from the field, the patient was assisted by the medical team consisting of a physician with training in emergency medicine and experience in medical evacuation, two nurses with critical patient care skills and two special force fighters, whose mission was to protect the crew on the ground and during the flight.
"It was an interesting, demanding mission, even if it was a medical case (acute coronary syndrome), not traumatic, as you would expect in this security environment. So far, we have only had surgical or trauma cases. I am glad that they called us, in such situations it is essential that the patient receives treatment as soon as possible, in order to save as much as possible from the heart muscle. And, of course, it is very important that supportive treatment is started during the transfer, which is what actually took place," explained Lieutenant Colonel dr. Stefan Zamfir.
"When the alert is given, we react quickly, the adrenaline speaks for itself and we stay focused on the mission. The equipment and materials were ready, and the calmness in the doctor's voice when he gave us the latest indications for medication gave us confidence. The difference from the medication we use at home, at the hospital, is given by the limited space in the helicopter and by the fact that, as we were during night-time and we had to respect the safety procedures, we had to work only in the light of the flashlights," added Master Sergeant Anca Negus, nurse.
Moreover, the current context of the COVID-19 epidemic forces the crew to pay extra attention in the interaction with patients - both the medical staff and their colleagues from the Rescue Search Detachment must wear protective equipment, and after landing the technical staff on the ground must perform the disinfection of the helicopter, the MApN shows.
After landing the aircraft, the patient was handed over to the ambulance at ROL 2 Chinese Hospital for further treatment and supervision.
Since October, last year, Romania has been contributing to international peacekeeping efforts with an Air Force detachment of 120 soldiers and four IAR-330 L-RM helicopters participating in the UN Integrated Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in the Republic of Mali (MINUSMA).
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