British-Czech co-operation in a mass casualty incident, Sipovo. From aeromedical evacuation from Bosnia to discharge from Central Military Hospital, Prague.

Abstract

On Thursday 8 January 1998, a Czech Hip helicopter with 21 personnel on board crashed in Bos Krupa, northwest Bosnia, resulting in one of the largest mass casualty incidents involving peacekeepers in Bosnia since conflict broke out there in 1992. Seventeen patients were airlifted from the scene to the British Hospital Squadron in Sipovo, central Bosnia for resuscitation and initial treatment. The next day, six severely injured patients underwent aeromedical evacuation to the Central Military Hospital in Prague. The role of the British Defence Medical Services in this incident was documented in the first article of this two part series. This second article highlights the role of the Czech medical services following aeromedical evacuation of these six patients, and closes the audit trial by documenting the patients' progress and final outcome in Prague.