Humanitarian and Local National Care

Abstract

Deployments can provide a surgeon with a wide range of experiences. Depending on your location, patient flow may make you feel like you are drinking from a fire hose or it can be totally absent and your time is spent surfing the internet and working out. Some areas may experience occasional surges in patient numbers separated by long periods of inactivity due to the operational tempo (OPTEMP) of the units around you. Local national patient care is one way to improve your operative experience while keeping your team busy and their skills polished. Surgical care for local nationals has the added benefit of helping to “win the hearts and minds” of the local population. There is no better tool for instantly winning the friendship and admiration of the local community than by taking care of their sick or injured loved ones. This can be an effective tool for improving intelligence and creating an environment that is increasingly friendly to USA and Coalition forces (Fig. 35.1)