By Meletus EZE
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it has commenced a 5-day training in Aeromedical Evacuation and Advanced Trauma Life Support for 37 medical personnel, drawn from NAF units across the Country.
NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the training of the personnel is taking place at the 261 NAF Reference Hospital Bauchi.
“The training, which is holding at the 261 NAF Reference Hospital Bauchi, is part of efforts to further enhance the capacity of NAF personnel.
“To provide effective aeromedical evacuation and advanced life support services within Operation LAFIYA DOLE as well as other Theatres of Operation in the country”, he said
The Chief of Medical Services, AVM Sale Shinkafi, was quoted as saying that the workshop was aimed at equipping NAF personnel with the necessary skills to provide effective aeromedical evacuation services to injured persons, especially at the front lines and theatres of operations.
He also said the training was aimed at ensuring that NAF Aeromedical Evacuation Teams and paramedics are appropriately prepared to effectively man the Accident and Emergency Units in NAF Hospitals across the country.
Shinkafi was represented by Group Capt. Azubuike Chukwuka, the Director of Public Health and Humanitarian Services NAF Headquarters.
Daramola said the training was in line with one of the key drivers of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar’s vision, aimed at creating needed capacities in every NAF professional specialty to enhance the ability of the service to effectively carry out its constitutional roles.
He said the workshop would expose the selected medical personnel to the complexities involved in providing real time first aid to casualties before evacuation in real battle situations.
Daramola said other areas to be covered during the workshop include, Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
He said facilitators at the Workshop include American Heart Society, certified consultants from the Jos University Teaching Hospital as well as resource persons from NAF Headquarters Medical Services Branch.
The NAF spokesman said that one of the highlights of the workshop was a practical demonstration of casualty evacuation of injured troops using a NAF Bell 412 Helicopter.
