Centre of field medicine simulates battlefield conditions
Europe's only field medicine simulator is in Lahti
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By Tiina Rajamäki
The long corridor of the red brick barracks has a grey floor, white walls, and wooden doors, just like any old educational institution or office building. However, sounds of bombs exploding and a man screaming in agony can be heard from behind one of the doors.
Jorma Jokela, head training nurse of the Centre of Military Medicine opens the door and then pulls open flap of the tent set up inside, revealing a scene set to resemble a front line in war. Cannons boom on the speakers, machine gun fire can be heard nearby, and there is smoke in the air. A soldier with serious injuries in both his legs is lying on the floor.
"The exercise begins", Jokela says into the microphone and three medical NCOs enter the room.
The room is Europe's first and only field medicine simulation studio. It was completed in May 2006, and it is used to train doctors and other medical personnel of the Defence Forces, students in medical reserve officers' training and on NCO training courses, as well as civilians.
The wounded soldier is a digitalised life-size dummy called Sim Man. The patient can breathe, his blood pressure can be measured, and he has veins that can be used for practicing intravenous medication. The patient also speaks and begs for help. The trainer speaks on his behalf through a microphone, and also controls the dummy's vital functions, such as blood pressure, using a computer.
The medics crouch over the patient in full combat gear. Tomi Sirvo leads the team and checks the patient's breathing. Juha Härkönen stems the profuse bleeding in the patient's leg, and Sampo Tykkyläinen sets up an intravenous drip.
After five minutes' work the patient's blood pressure begins to climb on the monitor. Everything is recorded on DVD for later analysis of the men's performance.
"Although the simulation enables complex training, the greatest benefit comes from practising as part of a group in as realistic a situation as possible", Jokela says. He is mainly responsible for assembling the equipment in the studio, as well as programming several scenarios into the system.
The simulator cost about EUR 400 000 to put together. There are five simulated patients, each costing about EUR 50 000. It is one part of the Defence Forces' new medical training, which is focusing on field medicine more than before. The Defence Forces explain that such a simulator is needed for the trainees to learn to treat patients in as realistic a setting as possible - much more efficiently than in traditional lectures.
Even though the main function of the simulator is to bolster soldiers' medical training, civilian rescue workers and doctors have already used the simulator for special courses.
"The room is currently set up as a forested front line, but it can be turned into an A&E first aid clinic", Jorma Jokela explains.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 17.6.2006
TIINA RAJAMÄKI / Helsingin Sanomat
tiina.rajamaki@hs.fi
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| 20.6.2006 - THIS WEEK |
 Centre of field medicine simulates battlefield conditions |
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