ISSUE 76 : May/Jun - 1989 - Australian Defence Force Journal

16 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 76 May/June 89Diagram 1: Medical Support to the Battalion Group.PM — PM — PM1>( MiiSTRETCHER BEARERSPM — PM — PM PM — PM -- PM PM — PM - PM1 1ii|l 11CMCMCMiili 1iiiSGT (STORES)iiSTAFF SGTSGT(HEALTH)MEDICAL OFFICERPARACHUTE SURGICAL TEAMI'MCMPlatoon medicCompany medicThe remainder of medical personnel aresimilar to any other Battalion.The details of how each element deploys canbe found in Battalion SOPs'\ but in generaleach element jumps in with that part of the Battalionit supports. For example, Recon will beaccompanied by one RA Inf first aider, eachCompany will have its full complement of platoonmedics and one RAAMC Cpl medic, andthe RAP staff jump with Battalion Headquarters.As all Rifle Companies and BHQjump with the first assault, this ensures thatlevel one and two medical support is on theground early in the operation.The major problem faced is how to get adequatemedical supplies on the ground in theassault phase. There is no landrover and trailerawaiting the RMO, and all stores must be carriedon the man. Intravenous fluids aredistributed one litre per soldier, and each mediccarries at least two, and in the case of the RMO,four litres of plasma expander and Hartmanns.Further, the equipment necessary to intubatecasualties, perform limited life saving proceduresincluding chest drainage, and splintageof fractures must all be carried on the man, andtherefore need to be light weight and compactwhere possible. The current medical haversacksin use are inadequate, and we are currentlytrialing a British pack, which is more rigid thanthe Alice pack, and has sidepockets for stowageof emergency equipment. These side pocketscan be detached and zipped together to providea hand carried "doctor's bag".Further supplies can be packed on wedges, orheavy dropped, but one must never rely on thearrival of equipment that is not firmly attachedto one's own suspension lines.!The Parachute Surgical Team (PST)The PST is still under development at thistime, and no doubt others will wish to write onthat subject in detail. I wish only to introducethe reader to the overall concept of the PST,and describe its projected capabilities.The PST will fill a gap in the support to theBattalion Group. Currently we have parachutequalified gunners, engineers, drivers, signallersand of course riggers providing necessary supportto a unit which must be largely self sufficientfrom a larger Brigade or Division formation,for up to 72 hours. With no Field Ambulanceof Field Hospital in support, the BattalionGroup must provide for itself level threemedical support, and this is the role of the PST.The PST will be capable of performing 20surgical cases, and holding them postoperativelyfor a further 72 hours, until evacuationbecome available. All members of the PSTmust be parachute qualified, including thesurgeons and anaesthetist, as in a worst casescenario, the entire unit will be parachuted in.Therefore all equipment is fully air-portableand parachutable.The problem currently to be considered withthe PST is at what phase in an operation shouldit be deployed. The rifle companies with theirintrinsic medical support will perform the in-