New Medical Tech: Bringing the Virtual to Life
What’s the best way to train for emergency combat scenarios? How do medics respond to a stabbing or shooting attack? The IDF has an answer you might not expect.
29.01.16
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A patient is rushed to the hospital after being severely stabbed in the upper abdomen. The doctor can tell the wounded isn’t responding to the treatment. The patient isn’t breathing properly, and is losing consciousness. Doctors, IDF paramedics, and medics panic as they attempt to revive the patient with various techniques. They are monitoring the blood flow and breathing.
Ultimately, this scenario was not real, and the patient was not a human. It was a plastic doll. So how could the medical team know the dummy was not ‘breathing’ properly? How could they monitor its blood flow? Through a groundbreaking IDF technology that maximizes our, or any emergency medical team’s, ability to provide lifesaving treatment.
In light of the recent wave of terror, the IDF has pioneered new training methods. The effectiveness and ability of our Medical Corps has been more important than ever. People have been injured on nearly a daily basis, so the role of our medical forces is vital.
Since October 2015, the Central Command’s Medical Corps have been simulating scenarios and treatments after an attack. However, they don’t treat traditional patients. They use plastic dolls whose circulatory and respiratory systems resembled those of human beings. With the help of cutting-edge technology, they respond to the treatment they receive – as humans would. This enables medical officials to constantly improve their methods under intense pressure.
The Medical Corps train at the Medical Simulation Center (MSC) at Tel Hashomer Hospital in central Israel. With the help of the center, soldiers ready themselves for scenarios that require first aid and triage. Some members of the medical team work from a control room and monitor the rest of the team’s progress at the scene.
These exercises are essential for saving lives, especially during the recent escalation of violence. The training at the MSC along with the first-hand experience of treating terror victims in Judea and Samaria has significantly improved the abilities and readiness of the medical personnel.
Despite the many challenges, the Medical Corps is committed to treating anyone who needs care. A military official explained that “we teach people to treat based on the severity of the victims’ injuries, not their religion.”
