Baghdad, March 22 (CTK) – Chest exit wounds, injuries due to roadside bombs and wounded children have been treated by the Czech field surgical team that has been to the northwest of Mosul since last December, the unit’s commander told journalists on Wednesday.
So far, Czech military doctors have treated 26 seriously injured patients, primarily Iraqi soldiers, police and tribe fighters.
Chief of Staff Josef Becvar visited the Czech troops on the allied base located near the front line of the fight against Islamist extremists.
The 17-member team of Czech military healthcare personnel left for Iraq in early December. They are supposed to stay there for six months.
They collaborate with U.S. and Danish colleagues in the saving of soldiers’ lives.
Together, they form four international teams.
“We serve in the system 7/24. This means that we are permanently accessible by walkie-talkies and phones,” a Czech member of the team told CTK.
“Whenever there is a need of urgent work, we must be at the work centre within five minutes,” she added.
So far, the Czech field team has treated 26 injured, the latest underwent a surgery on Tuesday night.
The commander said the doctors typically treated war injuries caused by firearms, shell splinters and roadside bombs. After the patients are stabilised, they are sent to Iraqi hospitals, mostly to Baghdad, he added.
In one case, the doctors had to amputate a boy’s leg.
The commander said the doctors had managed to save all the patients. Only one of them died in an Iraqi hospital after a time, but he was released from the hospital in a stabilised condition.
The base is protected by British troops.
The commander said the cooperation with the allies was good.
“I had the opportunity to work with several foreign teams, but the cooperation was never as good as here and now,” he added.
Becvar met the Iraqi and U.S. commanders at the base. “All of them expressed the words of praise,” Becvar said.
