The health and wellbeing of deployed personnel was a major focus on board HMAS Canberra during Exercise Alon, as part of Indo-Pacific Endeavour in the Philippines.
Recognising the value of healthcare as more than a support element and force multiplier, the ADF Health team engaged in a series of relationship-building activities with their colleagues from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Marine Corps.
The integration training aims to ensure ADF healthcare elements maintain the relationships needed to deliver health care abroad.
The highlight of the training was a bullring of workshops conducted within the Primary Casualty Reception Facility (PCRF), involving members of the Australian and Filipino healthcare teams.
Training covered management of trauma in the field, the use of point-of-care ultrasound and a workshop on deployed intensive care capabilities.
The PCRF’s orthopaedic surgeon Lieutenant Commander Phil Aubin gave the medics some tips and tricks on the application of plaster splints.
“Proper splinting of limb fractures is necessary to minimise further tissue damage and also to improve patient comfort,” Lieutenant Commander Aubin said.
“We also learned today the proper position in which to splint a hand injury so that rehabilitation after healing is much quicker. This is known as the position of safety.
“All of our personnel are keen to keep fit, even while injured. So we use extra plaster, as there is no doubt they will test the strength of your plaster splint.
“If you are moulding a complicated leg cast, use cold water so the plaster sets slowly and you have more time to work. If you have a line-up of casualties, use warmer water, and the plaster sets faster.”
Armed Forces of the Philippines medic Sergeant Geraldine Corbita said it was great to refresh her skills from the many doctors on board.
“I’ve had some good training in applying plasters today. In my previous work as a civilian, I trained in this, but not for a while,” Sergeant Corbita said.
The Filipino team showed all their tips and tricks for making do when resources were scarce, such as making a spinal collar from a boot and a ball cap, or using a uniform as a stretcher.
PCRF Director of Clinical Services Commander Scott Squires, who demonstrated the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) new, state-of-the-art point-of-care ultrasound machine and its application to trauma casualties, said he appreciated the value of bilateral knowledge sharing.
“We have shared our knowledge and we are learning from our international partners on board. I’m really looking forward to the presentation by our Filipino colleagues on tropical medicine and their recent combat experience,” Commander Squires said.
“Considering the jungle environment the ground combat elements operated in during this exercise, I was keen to learn all I could about the conditions and the threats, including the threat from Filipino snake envenomation.”
Acting as an unofficial liaison was RAN nursing officer Lieutenant Phil Salinas, who migrated from the Philippines in 2011.
“The Philippines will always be home for me, and Australia is now my new home as well. This exercise gave me a great opportunity to merge my two homes in a professional military setting,” Lieutenant Salinas said.
“It excites me to see the ADF engaging with our near neighbours, and I look forward to building relationships with people in the entire Indo-Pacific region across my career.”
