Nursing babies passed over the wall in Kabul
Lieutenant Colonel Caesar is currently in Afghanistan supporting the ongoing efforts at Kabul Airport as a Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon
Among those currently in Afghanistan is Lt Col Caesar, a Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon from 16 Medical Regiment, working in the Role 2 hospital in Kabul Airport, attached to the Op PITTING mission.
Op PITTING is the name for the military support to the evacuation of British Nationals and former British staff eligible for relocation under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP).
Find out more about his role here👇
What is the purpose of 16 Medical Regiment out in Afghanistan?
“The purpose of the 16 Medical Regiment unit attached to the mission is to provide urgent surgical care for injured service personnel and entitled individuals coming through the noncombatant evacuation operation here in Afghanistan.
“The trauma cases we’ve had coming through the hospital have been very varied. We’ve had a number of gunshot injuries, flashbang injuries and also a significant number of people who’ve been crushed in the crowd whilst waiting to get through the gates. We’ve also seen a number of medical injuries that have presented, people who’ve been short of their own medication or have suffered from heat injury.
What has it been like looking after younger children who have suffered injury or trauma?
“I nursed one of the babies, one that we believe was passed over the wall to the Marines. During the evening after she’d been handed over, she was being fed by a colleague and became somewhat distressed and unhappy. As a recent father of a 14-month-old, I have a little more experience of dealing with small children.
“We took her for a walk around the hospital, managed to burp her a few times and she seemed to settle. She then sat with me for another half an hour or so, and she was handed off to one of the nursing staff who managed to rock her off to sleep. That baby I believe has now been reunited with her mother, and she was moved on to a safe location outside of Afghanistan.
Have you seen that viral image of the baby being passed to the US Marines?
“The baby that was handed over the wall to the US Marines ended up here at the Role 2 hospital, and amongst many other children that were separated from the parents were looked after by the staff here in the Role 2.
“Both the Norwegians, the US and ourselves took turns taking care of those children, and offering them the pastoral care that they needed while they waited to be either shipped on to a safe destination or reunited with their parents.
What are your thoughts and feelings about this deployment?
“My thoughts and feelings on this deployment are that it’s absolutely necessary. It’s the right place for the British Army to be supporting the people of Afghanistan as they go through an extremely difficult time.
“We are providing the best possible surgical and medical care available in a difficult circumstance, and we are providing a safe haven for people who are injured or unwell during this difficult time.
What challenges have you faced?
“The challenges of working in this type of environment are that we never really know what’s going to come through the door. We have to be prepared for all eventualities whilst trying to work in a relatively light role, so carrying very limited kit and equipment.
“The numbers of people coming through are much higher than they could have anticipated. I don’t think anyone could have foresaw the crushing sea of humanity at the gates, and how they were going to be affected by the situation.
“There was also the unpleasant situation where people got onto the runway, and we were very concerned at that point that we would be dealing with large numbers of casualties that could have overwhelmed this facility.”
“Success for our team will look like, firstly no Coalition forces significantly injured and left behind, no injured UK service personnel, and as many Afghan nationals who wish to leave being brought to safety.”
— Lieutenant Colonel Caesar
