By Liu Bin and Wang Xuechao
GAO, Mali, Sept. 26 -- The 10th Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to Mali organized a defense drill at the Chinese level-II hospital in Gao，Mali, on September 24.
The drill was conducted against a scenario that after the outside of the Chinese level-II hospital was attacked by curved trajectory weapons, the members of the contingent’s emergency response team immediately made themselves fully armed and rushed to the designated battle positions to get combat readiness for defense. The rest of the contingent put on blue helmets and bulletproof vests took cover in the nearest bunkers.
Since mid-September, the security situation in Mali has been in tension, and multiple peacekeeping detachments of the United Nations Multi-dimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) have been attacked. The Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent has adjusted the deployment of its guard force by adding camp gate security checkpoints and night patrol sentries, and improved the emergency response plans against various scenarios including the gate of the hospital is attacked by unidentified people and ambulance vehicles are intercepted by militants.
The treatment of war wound was also a major part of the drill. Upon receiving the rescue mission, the evacuation team set out immediately onboard an armored ambulance. Under the protection of the guards, the medical staff performed first aid treatment such as hemostatic bandaging and cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the scene and then carried them to the armored ambulance for emergency evacuation. The defense drill was effective in improving the defense awareness and emergency response capabilities of the contingent members.