By Sun Xiaoshun and Liu Gang
GAO, Mali, April 29 — The 9th Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to Maliand peacekeeping troops from other countries in the Sector East of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) jointly staged an emergency rescue drill code named Safeguarding Peace on April 25, local time.
With the scenario that a peacekeeping rapid response detachment was attacked while performing tasks outside the camp. The drill aimed to test the peacekeeping contingents’ capabilities in coordinated operations such as rapid reinforcement, cross-regional transfer of the wounded, and emergency medical treatment. During the exercise, the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent was assigned the task to rush to Gao International Airport to transfer the severely wounded to the Chinese Level-II Hospital run by the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent for emergency treatment.
The exercise kicked off amid the sound of sirens and went on according to the pre-arranged planning. At 8:00 a.m., the duty room of the Chinese Level-II Hospital received an order from the Sector East of MINUSMA that a Jordanian peacekeeping rapid response detachment was attacked by a roadside bomb while performing tasks in the Ansongo area, and three soldiers were injured. One of the three was severely wounded and needed to be urgently transferred to the Chinese Level-II Hospital for emergency treatment. And the other two with minor injuries were to be transported to the German Level-I Hospital for treatment.
The Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent immediately launched an emergency treatment plan. Members of the evacuation team and security personnel hopped onto the armored ambulance in no time and rushed to the Gao International Airport to pick up the wounded. Around 8:45 a.m., the helicopter evacuating the severely wounded from Ansongo landed at the Gao International Airport. And the evacuation team members, under the guidance of team leader Jin Hai, immediately examined the injured and dressed his wounds before carrying him onto the ambulance and transferring him to the Chinese Level-II Hospital for further treatment.
Since arriving in the mission area, the 9th Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent has established a medical technical assistance mechanism with the local hospitals. The contingent also provided war-wound treatment skills training courses for peacekeeping units under the Sector East of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), striving to improve medical rescue and treatment capabilities of peacekeeping troops.
