NI team to treat war casualties

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Health workers from Northern Ireland are going to Afghanistan as part of a Territorial Army unit.

More than 60 doctors, nurses and ambulance drivers from Northern Ireland are to provide frontline medical treatment in Afghanistan this summer.

The Territorial Army reservists - of 204 Squadron (North Irish) Field Hospital - will work at Camp Bastion in Helmand province.

As well as Nato soldiers, they will treat Afghan National Army, Taliban and civilian casualties.

Their three-month tour of duty will begin in mid-July.

Just over half of the deployment will be made up of staff from health trusts from all over Northern Ireland.

Of the others, 21 are employed by non-health care organisations and three are regular soldiers.

The field hospital is commanded by Colonel Iain Moles, who is a GP in civilian life and will be deployed with the squadron.

He said: "This deployment is the culmination of a year of hard preparation, and I have every confidence that we will deliver high quality medical and surgical care to the British and coalition forces."

The reservists are going to Helmand province

As well as battlefield injuries the squadron will also treat more routine workplace accidents as well as sickness.

The reservists will be mobilised at the end of June in Nottingham, before a week of training in York which includes simulated casualties.

One hundred and twenty infantry reservists from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment, are currently on a six-month deployment to Helmand.