SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan – Lying on plywood tables serving as makeshift hospital beds, 62 Afghan National Police recruits from Training Support Site Costell rolled up their sleeves to help Afghans injured during the upcoming month.
Medical personnel from Kandahar Regional Military Hospital made the 50-mile trek to TSS Costell to ensure that blood supplies will last through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful must fast during daylight hours and thus can’t stabilize their blood sugar levels with snacks after making donations.
Two hours after the first donor came in; the hospital had all the blood it could handle.
ANP Brig. Gen. Nasrullah Zarifi, commander of Recruit Training Center-Kandahar, said there was still another 60 volunteers standing by to donate outside.
“This blood is shared for our brothers,” he said. “It’s not sold to civilians; it’s not sold to Pakistan. It’s used for our brothers.”
Though KRMH primarily serves the Afghan National Army and ANP, it also opens its doors to local residents in need. During the blood drive at TSS Costell, KRMH director Col. Abdul Baseer Elaj received a call that 13 civilians had been injured in an IED attack on a bus: two died before reaching the hospital, two needed operations, two were sent for CAT scans at the NATO Role 3 multinational medical unit, and the rest were undergoing treatment.
The injuries put a large demand on the hospital’s supply of type-O blood and underscored the ongoing need. While most gunshot wounds require relatively small infusions, explosive blasts generally cause multiple injuries and put a larger strain on the blood bank. Baseer said that last week, a patient required 20 pints during treatment.
Using modern medical techniques, KRMH does all it can to stretch it supplies by using a centrifuge to separate the blood into its component parts. But the hospital still requires regular donations.
Fortunately, a ready supply of donors is available next door at the ANA 205th Hero Corps, commanded by Brig. Gen. Shir Mohammed Zarzai.
US Air Force Lt. Col. Matthew Escher, senior medical advisor to KRMH, said Zarzai and Baseer enjoy an excellent relationship, with the soldiers of the Hero Corps always willing to help when called.
“Two weeks ago, we needed blood,” Escher said. “Col. Baseer called Gen. Zazai, and 30 to 35 people came over to the hospital with one phone call.”
But it’s important not to overtax such an important resource, Escher says, so getting donations from police recruits eases the burden on the ANA.
Since most recruits have little schooling, they often have preconceptions that make them hesitant to donate. But once they see how easy it is, Baseer says they learn that they can trust the KRMH medical personnel.
“We have a lot of good people,” he said. “But to understand each other is most important. If we understand each other, the rest is easy.”
| Date Taken: |
08.02.2010 |
| Date Posted: |
08.02.2010 01:48 |
| Story ID: |
53797 |
| Location: |
SPIN BOLDAK, AF |
| Web Views: |
249 |
| Downloads: |
195 |
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