Nepal Armed Police Force, US Civil Affairs team Conduct Medical Training

Photo By Cpl. Domyque Arthur | Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) members put up a medical tent that will act as a triage center during a simulated mass casualty lane along with U.S. Embassy Nepal Civil Affairs Team members in Kurintar, Nepal, April 11, 2023. Regular training and engagements with our allies and partners are instrumental in cultivating civil-military cooperation, increasing emergency preparedness, and enhancing bilateral response capabilities.(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Michael O'Hagan)  

NEPAL

04.11.2023

Story by Maj. Michael O'Hagan 

U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific

KURINTAR, Nepal - Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) and U.S. Special Operations Pacific Civil Affairs team based at U.S. Embassy Nepal conducted a Medical First Responder course April 3 – April 16, at the APF Disaster Management Training School in Kurintar, Nepal.

The instruction covered various topics, including CPR, basic lifesaving, burns and mass casualty triage to name a few. It also focused on M.A.R.C.H., a mnemonic device for remembering priorities while treating casualties in the order of Massive Hemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, and Hypothermia Prevention.

"This training and these relationships are really important in a disaster scenario because it allows us to improve interoperability between the U.S. and Nepal so in the event another disaster strikes, we're able to rapidly respond and work together as a cohesive team,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Justin Ellis.

The course included a capabilities demonstration led by the APF, showcasing the team's ascension, traversing, descending, rappelling, and ziplining capabilities to gain access to patients under challenging conditions. Rescuers demonstrated how they could navigate obstacles while maintaining safety for both the rescuers and the patients, such as ziplining to evacuate a child from a four-story rooftop to safety. They also rappelled from a rooftop to access patients on the ground. Once at ground level, APF trainees employed a pulley system to vertically lift patients to safety, which is a technique often used in floods, earthquakes, and mudslides.

"We have huge respect to U.S. Marines who lost their lives for the sake of the Nepalese people," said Senior Superintendent Manish Thapa, Commandant, Nepal Armed Police Force, who remembers the 2015 earthquake and American support.

The preparation culminated in an exercise that tested students' ability to incorporate all their medical first responder skills into multiple scenarios using disaster relief systems donated by the U.S.

The disaster relief system is a series of 33 large CONEX containers placed all throughout Nepal. Each container can provide temporary refuge for up to 100 persons at one time during a natural disaster, like a landslide or earthquake. They can also serve as a triage center for medical first responders as each DRS are equipped with tents, beds, and emergency supplies.

The employment of an on-site triage center minimizes responders’ transportation requirements, expedites treatment, reduces overflow at hospitals, and ultimately increases the likelihood of saving more patients’ lives.

"It's important because if we have this disaster relief container around the country, it will help us,” said Deputy Superintendent Nirmal Karki, Nepal, Armed Police Force.

This training is designed to advance regional security and ensure effective responses to regional crises by bringing together a robust multinational force to address shared goals and security commitments in the Indo-Pacific.

• Date Taken: 04.11.2023
• Date Posted: 05.31.2023 22:06
• Story ID: 443291
• Location: NP