PNG Defence Force soldiers complete combat medic course

National

By TREVOR WAHUNE
Eighteen soldiers have completed a combat medic course, First Royal Pacific Island Regiment (1RPIR) commanding officer Lt-Col Boniface Aruma says.
Aruma said the combat medic course would enable PNG Defence Force soldiers to learn skills in the application of first aid to save lives on a battlefield situation.
“This time, lives would be saved on battle fields, and not in the operations theatre,” he said.
“This will ensure  our medics team is properly trained so when we are out on the battlefield  and someone gets shot, we ensure there is complete medic trainees there to assist.”
He said trained personnel learnt how to stabilise injured soldiers and then transfer them to hospital so it was absolutely crucial that  young medics got appropriate training.
Aruma said the training was part of Exercise Pukpuk.
“Our partner assisting us to conduct this exercise, the Australian Defence Force (ADF), sent some specialist medics up here and they trained our medical team,” he said.