Army medics treat and train locals in Solomons

Crocodile and pig attacks are not the typical injuries orthopaedic surgeon Major Darren Paterson is accustomed to.

CAPTION: A medical team from Army’s 2nd Health Battalion during Operation Render Safe 24-2, Solomon Islands. Story and photo by Corporal Luke Bellman.

“You don’t see crocodile attacks very often in Australia,” Major Paterson said.

“The principles of treatment are the same as a shark attack or any wild animal attack with respect to the soft tissue and bones.”

They were some of the unusual cases he saw at Helena Goldie hospital, Munda, Solomon Islands, during Operation Render Safe 24-2.

He and his team from the 2nd Health Battalion were there to support Render Safe personnel. On arriving, they met a US medical team that previously worked at the hospital.

They mentioned a young boy with septic arthritis of the knee who needed orthopaedic treatment.

Major Peterson received approval from his chain of command to assist and over the following weeks, local doctors frequently sought his advice on various cases.

With scarce resources, an ADF surgeon, anaesthetist and medics improvised to teach a range of surgical procedures to local practitioners.

In one case a young woman had lost large amounts of blood from a cervical tear after giving birth.

“She was stuck in a boat for hours bleeding during the transfer and on arrival the local MO (medical officer) would just pack the cervix with large sponges, stabilise the patient and then transfer to another facility where they had more advanced services,” Major Paterson said.

In another case, they mentored staff on open arthrotomies, or joint explorations.

“Instead of putting an arthroscope into the knee, we instructed the local staff on how to do a formal open arthrotomy and irrigated it with a bottle of saline,” Major Paterson said.

“They incised the knee through skin and capsule and then just poured it into the knee with a jug to wash out the bacteria and contamination.”

Major Paterson said local medical staff at Munda benefited from the training and mentoring.

“They loved it. The senior doctor over there has contacted me and is asking when we are coming back,” he said.

The team felt they made an impact on the community and saw how basic medical intervention and training could save lives.

“I benefited from the challenge of operating in small confined spaces with high humidity, no AC and very little equipment,” Major Paterson said.

“Along with the challenges of managing major infections with minimal modern antibiotics, it truly was austere medicine.

“[However], the biggest benefit to me was being able to see how we could easily help these people.”

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