British Science Week: The view from South Sudan
Captain Morris, General Duties Medical Officer, Op TRENTON, South Sudan
Whilst deployed on Op TRENTON as a General Duties Medical Officer I have had many opportunities to collaborate with our United Nations colleagues. In Bentiu, the Level 2 hospital provides a referral centre for UN service personnel requiring care beyond the Level 1 capability. During a visit from the Secretary of State for Defence, Rt Hon Gavin Williamson, in January, I had the enjoyable opportunity to deliver a tour of the hospital!
This responsibility exemplifies the integrated nature of UN healthcare. I worked closely with the Vietnamese healthcare workers to create and deliver an informative guided tour of the treatment facility. This experience highlights the many opportunities for Defence Engagement and collaboration when deployed on UNMISS.
Sgt Burgess, Practice Manager, Op Trenton, South Sudan
The role of a Practice manager deployed on a multi-national UN mission is both challenging & rewarding. Holding responsibility for the administration of 2 medical facilities in austere locations separated by 130 miles of desert and accessible only by air, the issues vary from the mundane computer system meltdowns to attempting to decipher Vietnamese hospital discharge notes.
A close working environment shared with Mongolian, Ghanaian, Bangladeshi, Rwandan & Vietnamese contributions to the UN deployment means no two days are the same, with unique learning opportunities provided by weekly teaching sessions held at the Indian Level 2 hospital for all medical teams, occasionally requiring some impromptu translation from Hindi.
The chance to make meaningful improvements to the processes & medical infrastructure to overcome problems presented by the South Sudanese environment, UN protocols & an unreliable supply chain offer a genuine sense of accomplishment, enabling the multi-disciplined medical team to work effectively. The requirement to frequently travel between both locations in theatre offers an enviable opportunity to visit more of the country than most will see on deployment, and to experience the inflight hospitality of the UN. Overall, the role of the Practice manager on Op TRENTON has been an enjoyable & informative experience so far.
Pte Simpson, Op TRENTON, South Sudan
My role here in the Malakal role one facility is twofold- to provide primary health care and care in the field to the British serving troops as part of a small medical team. This includes dealing with everything from small cuts and bruises to severe illnesses and life-threatening trauma.
I have also been teaching some of the serving troops about heat illnesses and I have been running team medic courses.
I’m enjoying the fact that I am able to do my job as a medic and as it is a small team I am gaining a lot of experience.
Life inside the wire is really comfortable with Wi-Fi, gym, good food and parcels from home every couple of weeks.
