Two Medical Specialists on a Mission in Uruzgan

Between June 3 and August 1, 2007 a medical military team was working at Camp Holland, in the province of Uruzgan, Afghanistan. This team has given medical care to Dutch soldiers, soldiers of the Coalition Forces, members of Afghan National Police or Afghan National Army, members of Opposing Military Forces (Taliban warriors) as well as Afghan locacivilians. A total of 1646 mainly Afghan patients were seen at their outpatient clinic, 107 patients were seen at the emergency department. Most patients that were seen suffered combat related injuries. From this group 12 patients died. Hundred operations were performed on 76 patients (18 children <16 years old). This article describes the experiences of the team, as well as the possibilities and impossibilities of medical care in austere situations.