News>Afghan air force airmen graduate advanced flight medic course
Photos
Afghan air force medics prepare a simulated patient for a medical procedure Oct. 2, 2011, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan during an advanced medic course. The course provides the same expertise intermediate emergency medical technicians and paramedic teams learn in the U.S. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)
by Capt. Jamie Humphries
438th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
10/11/2011 - KABUL, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Four Afghan air force medics medics graduated from the first advanced flight medic course here recently.
The training provides the same expertise intermediate emergency medical technicians and paramedic teams learn in the U.S.
By teaching advanced skills, medical professionals from the wing hope AAF members will now be prepared to respond to a litany of situations they may face in the field, officials said. During the course, students learned advanced airway stabilization techniques, how to perform cardiac life support, pharmacology skills and trauma life support, as well as rescue and extrication techniques.
The students also learned how to intubate patients, providing a tube into a patient's lungs, which is one of the most advanced skill sets an emergency pre-hospital health care provider can learn according to coalition medics.
"The medics are learning how to push medications in emergency situations like cardiac drugs which will help someone if their heart stops as well as medications to counteract drug overdose or to stop seizures in an emergency," said Tech. Sgt. Steve Guillen, a medic assigned to the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group.
According to officials, the recent training now provides the AAF medics with the skill level comparable with coalition flight medics and the opportunity to now conduct medicinal evacuations with little or no adviser oversight.
"It is important to know the medications and other skills we have learned in this course, because now we can perform missions alone," said Sgt. Majeed, a newly trained flight medic. "We are now ready for any emergency that we might have to help our patients and our countrymen."
