Medical Personnel from NATO Countries Trained in Sub-Arctic Conditions
Tasked with operating in sub-Arctic climates, medical personnel from six NATO countries took part in advanced medical training conducted by the Swedish Armed Forces Defence Medicine Centre.
NATO soldiers during medical winter training. Photo: K4/Swedish Armed Forces.
Pre-hospital hypothermia—initial care of cold-exposed patients, sometimes combined with frostbite and combat injuries—was the primary focus for the 20 participants from six different NATO countries.
“What makes this training so sought after is the combination of advanced medical education in prevention and treatment of hypothermic patients in a demanding sub-Arctic environment, which in itself can easily cause frostbite. This means the training is applied throughout the entire course. Training in extreme cold is always realistic—both personnel and equipment are subjected to significant strain,” explains the course director.
The participants were medically trained personnel ranging from combat medics at squad level to physicians, whose role is to train their own units in pre-hospital hypothermia care once they return home.
“For us Germans, this training is very important since we support NATO in the north, so we need this kind of training up here. It has been a very good exchange and experience with the Swedes and the other nations here,” says a German participant from a parachute regiment.
“Most important has been learning how to care for a patient in cold climates, and how to manage them over extended periods—care during delayed evacuation. The training has provided extremely valuable knowledge and experience to bring back to our unit,” says a flight nurse from the Netherlands.