# New Kandahar hospital offers another chance at life



## GAP (7 Jun 2010)

New Kandahar hospital offers another chance at life
Article Link
The Canadian Press
Date: Sunday Jun. 6, 2010 1:20 PM ET

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Here, the dying get a second chance.

"They hit our doors, they live," said Lt.-Col. Douglas Kromrey, the executive officer of the new Role 3 Hospital at Kandahar Airfield.

It's a bold promise, but one the Ottawa resident dares to keep since the military hospital opened two weeks ago.

During an exclusive tour of the facility, Kromrey explained some of the advantages the new Role 3 has over its predecessor -- 30 per cent more bed, emergency and exam room capacity and a 64-slice CT scanner that allows for quicker imaging with a higher resolution than the old 4-slice scanner.

With its brick-and-mortar exterior, gleaming hallways and state-of-the-art equipment, the new hospital is a far cry from the paint-chipped, plywood shack it has replaced.

"We have oxygen systems, electrical systems -- it's the same capability you would find in a medium-sized hospital back home in Canada," Kromrey said. "And I would even say that some of the rural hospitals don't even have some of the capability."

While the Role 3 may look like it belongs in any Canadian city, the injuries it treats are often very different from those back home.

"Hardly a day goes by without somebody having a gunshot wound or hardly a day goes by where somebody wasn't involved in an IED blast here," said Capt. Rich Hilsden, a 28-year-old doctor from Hamilton.

"I can be working at St. Michael's in Toronto or one of the other major trauma centres in Canada and not have the same experience that you have here."

Case in point: hours before the hospital was to open, insurgents fired rockets and mortars at the base. An undisclosed number of civilians and military personnel were rushed to the old Role 3. 


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## jollyjacktar (7 Jun 2010)

I am glad to hear it is finished at last.  I was impressed with the size and speed of the construction overall considering the circumstances of logistics.  Here's to Role 3 saving even more lives down the road.  :cheers:


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## TN2IC (12 Jun 2010)

IIRC, this one is ran by the US Navy. I seen photos of it during a breifing last week. Very impressive.


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## jollyjacktar (12 Jun 2010)

The Yanks took over Role 3 at the end of my last tour in October/November 09.


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## OldSolduer (12 Jun 2010)

To all the folks in the medical field.


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## SeanNewman (12 Jun 2010)

Awesome job and well done to all pers involved.

The old Role 3 had some extremely dedicated workers there, but sheesh the thing was a ragtag of trailers and seacans bolted onto a small building at random intervals and not that efficient traffic-wise.

Thank god the deserving medics and wounded have a better place now.


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