Call sign Baz: "There are currently many injuries from drones in Kharkiv region. Statistically, they are most numerous"
Today, Andrii is temporarily acting as the deputy commander of the medical company for medical work of the NGU’s "Khartiia" brigade. His call sign is Baz or Bazik. This is how he was called back at Kharkiv Medical University, where he studied.
Prior to joining the army, he worked as a paediatrician and headed the healthcare department of the Pervomaisk District State Administration (now the city of Zlatopil).
After decentralisation, he joined the team of the Biliaivska community. He spent the beginning of the full-scale war in his hometown, solving work-related issues, including those of internally displaced persons. And in June 2023, he received a letter from the military registration and enlistment office asking him to update his personal data.
- "I came and they told me that the country needed me," he recalls in our conversation: I am explaining "You understand that I am a paediatrician. That is, a children's doctor. I have patients up to the age of 18." Response: "So everyone there is like children!" And, indeed, here I started to see big, bearded, sometimes angry children (smiles - O.M.). So I lost almost nothing. I was called up on my birthday, so it's very convenient for me to count how long I've been in the army.
- What was it like for you when the full-scale war started?
- I was at home. In the morning of 24 February, we came to work. We were working. In the first days, even weeks, we heard single explosions somewhere in Balakliia and Lozova, but there was nothing heavy or scary in our city. Although people were nervous, there were queues in the shops, and a curfew was imposed. Of course, our Biliaivka community was immediately involved in hosting the internally displaced people - we were looking for homes, clothes, food. We helped them.
- When you were mobilised, did you immediately join the "Khartiia"?
- Yes. In fact, after a two-day MMC, I was brought to Kharkiv, where they said they needed surgeons and anaesthetists, not paediatricians. So they sent me to Dnipro. They said that they take everyone there. Here we were registered with the "Khartiia". Nine officers arrived that day (I was a junior lieutenant in the medical service at the time). So we began to learn military affairs and set up medical work.
After Dnipro, there was a training ground. Separate units were already being formed there. At that time, the first battalion did not have a doctor, so I was taken to help them. I was a lifesaver: examinations, blood pressure, temperature, treatment, referrals to hospitals if necessary, as well as checking and monitoring compliance with sanitary standards. Then the command found premises in the nearest village - a former district hospital. They gave us a nice wing for the medical company, so we set up a permanent deployment point. We also organised a kind of hospital where the guys with injuries could stay for a week or two and return to their units.
At the end of November, the brigade went to Donbas to the Serebrianske forestry. There, we were accommodated in houses in the village. We performed an evacuation function. We had four crews. The fifth was a reserve crew. Then we found a place in the forest, where we opened a stabilisation point.
- Which evacuation do you remember the most?
- The very first one. We had just started our duty. At that time, we spent a day in the cars. It was December, so it was a little bit wintery. And then we received a message that there was a wounded man who needed to be taken from Lyman to Sloviansk. At the stabilisation point, we did everything for him. We picked him up, loaded him, and drove him. I kept in touch with him all the time: what, where, how are you feeling? We were travelling for the first time. It was dark. But we got him there and he was fine.
- How have you already been working at the stabilisation point?
- I was more at the surgeon's beck and call: to quickly carry, lay down, dial, inject, treat the wound, put in a catheter, write a form (100 at the time, now it's 001).: to quickly bring, put, dial, inject, treat the wound, put a catheter, write a form (100 at that time, now it is 001).
- And what about emotionally? Is it scary?
- I'm the kind of person who doesn't react to such things with some kind of emotional outburst. I do everything in my power to keep the person alive. Of course, I understand that I am not a therapist in the ward, so I can't keep him or her for ten or twenty days. Here and now, I need to carry out the necessary amount of medical manipulation and inject the right amount of the right drugs that will help, and evacuate to the next stage for further treatment.
- At that time, mine-blast injuries prevailed there, right?
- And also gunshot wounds. I remember a case from another shift, when they brought a guy with a wound in his cheek - a sniper had hit him and even took out his upper jaw. There was a rather large tissue defect. Visually, it looked horrible. But it was a face - if the large vessels were not damaged, there was not much blood, and the eyes and brain were also intact.
Now, in the Kharkiv region, there are many injuries from drones. Statistically, there are the most of them.
- Your colleagues told me how they had to amputate a wounded man's limb because a tourniquet was applied to a wound that didn't need it. I think this is called "turnstile syndrome". Have you had any similar cases?
- Indeed, not every bleeding wound requires a tourniquet. Every soldier is taught to use the MARCH protocol and act accordingly. And it is the first letter M - massive blood loss. But even trained soldiers can make mistakes when they are wounded. We have already had a guy brought here once who had a tourniquet on his arm for more than three hours, and it was tightened so high and well - as they teach. His wound was in the palm of his hand - the cut was a little deeper than the skin. Even the ligaments survived. It was just a matter of tamping the wound, which would have stopped the bleeding.
And there was another case when the wounded man arrived with a turnstile that was not properly fixed. As soon as he gets down from the car, the surgeon immediately examines him. He asked: "Why is your turnstile hanging loose, sorry, like a herring in a barrel?" He replies: "I let it go. I was afraid they would cut off my leg." The doctor: "But you do realise that you could have bled to death in the car while they were driving you, and that would have been it!"
Another example: a guy suffered a fracture in the ankle. He was bandaged with an Israeli bandage. But due to the fact that there was a fracture and the tissues began to swell, it worked just like a turnstile. Plus, he didn't get there on the first day, so his leg had already developed dry gangrene, and it had to be amputated. This is an isolated episode, but it happens.
In general, I'll tell you this: you need to understand not only when to use the turnstile and how to do it correctly, but also how to follow up - conversion. That is, it needs to be reviewed periodically - does the bleeding continue, or will a tight tamponade of the wound be enough?
How is it usually done? You put on a tourniquet and that's it, panacea. This is not entirely true. That's why we conduct training and tell people that you should not forget about the tourniquet after you put it on. We emphasise this.
- When a person is injured, it is difficult not only physically but also psychologically. How do they react?
- They react differently. Some have just come in, while others have been serving since 2014, meaning they have been under explosions and shot at. I think it all depends on the mental strength of the person. For example, three wounded men arrive. One is completely silent, the second asks something, and the third just screams. According to statistics, he is the one with the lightest injury. But where there is a siren, there is also anxiety - people run to them first. So the doctor has to differentiate - he has to use his eyes, his hearing, and his experience.
And those who bring their wounded comrades are on adrenaline. They want them to survive and be okay. Often we are rushed: "Let's go faster! Why are you so slow?". Every time we explain: "Running now will do nothing at all. We need to examine and make a decision. We need at least a short period of time for that." Most of the guys exhale: "That's it, the professionals are here." But there are some who still have adrenaline pumping through their blood, and they can raise their voices at us. We also talk to him about the danger of making mistakes in a hurry. I don't want to give the impression that we are slow, like snails or turtles. We're not. Everyone just works at their own speed, which is necessary. When we receive information on the radio or other means of communication that a very heavy patient is being transported, we are already wearing gloves with syringes ready. We have a gurney and a wheelchair ready - whatever is needed. We are waiting. There is no such thing as, Oh, we have just woke up and are going.
But in general, it is difficult to predict how a person will behave in a given situation. Let me give you an example. We had a conditional stabilisation point here in the Kharkiv region - people would bring us guys, we would take care of them and send them to a Kharkiv hospital. On one of our duties, my comrade and I were sitting at the point. He jumped up and shouted: "Rocket!". I didn't hear anything. But in two or three seconds, I hear this roar. The sound is indescribable. And the feeling is that you wouldn't wish it on anyone but your enemies. Thank you very much (smiles - O.M.). We took cover. A missile was flying towards Kharkiv. Then another one. It fell about 500 metres away from us. There were two such close passes over us that day. So, after that, I did not sleep for the first time. I could not fall asleep. I close my eyes, and my body says: "No, no, not today" (smiles. - O.M.). I met the dawn. I wouldn't say I was shaking. It must have been the defence mechanisms and the adrenaline rush.
- How do you not burn out in such conditions?
- This is a rather difficult question. Given that we are all individuals, everyone has their own "recipe". For example, some people need to be alone. Some people, on the contrary, prefer company - as the bards say: a guitar, a fire and a song. Some people do needlework - we have girls who sew, embroider, knit. So you have to switch. Sometimes even a simple walk around a big city really brings you back to that pre-war state. It's also a kind of rest for the psyche.
- Which method helps you personally the most? How do you recover?
- Humour is my weapon. I'd rather be in a company. Given that I am a paediatrician, I like to tease. In a kind way - as if a mosquito bit (smiles - O.M.).
- But this is a two-way traffic. I suspect that you are also joked about in return.
- Of course! How can you do without it?" (laughs. - O.M.). Paediatrician is translated from Latin as a doctor specialising in the treatment of children. But there are some people who are not aware of this and use the phrase "children's paediatrician". When they call me that, it's already funny. And it's even funnier when they say: "This children's paediatrician-infantryman" (smiles - O.M.).
- You are now in the Kharkiv region. Compared to Serebrianskyi Forest, where is it more difficult?
- You know, it's like comparing, for example, the sea and the mountains: both have nature, but there are nuances and differences. In Serebrianskyi Forest, the logistics were a little different, the distances from point to point. In addition, here we are more in populated areas. The evacuation time has decreased because Kharkiv is close enough and the roads are more or less good.
- Kharkiv is constantly suffering from enemy shelling. As do most rear cities. There are more and more opinions that every civilian, including teenagers, should take tactical medicine courses. I think you, as a doctor, support this idea, right?
- Of course! It is extremely necessary. Such skills increase your survival rate, as well as that of those around you. You know that they teach you on an aeroplane before the flight: in case of an emergency, an adult puts a mask on himself first, then on a child. Because if he or she is unconscious, he or she will not be able to do anything. Unfortunately, sometimes reflexes work earlier, which is why you need to learn and consolidate your skills. For example, since university I have always had a minimal "sewing kit" in my backpack, a multi-tool, a lighter, a mirror, etc. Now I always have a first aid kit with everything I need, even when I'm on holiday. Yes, it adds a bit of weight, but it's the times. It's better to have it, even if it's not useful. As the wise Japanese say: Even if a samurai needs a sword only once in his life, he must carry it all the time.
- Have you ever helped captured Russians?
- There is a saying: fate leads the meek, it pulls the disobedient. I think I am submissive, so God spared me from meeting these "comrades." On another shift, they brought them to the stabilisation point. My colleagues told me that their hands were scratching. By the way, journalists came to us in Serebriansky Forest and asked: "What if there is a prisoner, how will you treat him?". I say that I hate russia and everything connected with it precisely because they made me feel this way. This is a reaction to their actions! If they have a tsunami tomorrow and there are corpses of children floating around, I won't even have a heartbeat. It's bad, but it's the way it is. But doctors have to provide medical care regardless of their internal state. My colleagues from the medical company also think so - professionalism comes first. We understand that prisoners are an exchange fund. Plus, we are aware that we should not sink to their level, which is very difficult to crawl out of.
- In fighting a dragon, the main thing is not to turn into one yourself?
- Yes, there is such a thing. Perhaps that's why we react the way we do. And not only in relation to prisoners, but in general. Because we have been under chronic stress for a long time. But we are working.
- I also wanted to ask you about your supply situation. Do you have enough of the necessary equipment, medicines, etc.
- We can boast a bit here (smiles - O.M.). We have a young, promising and agile commander. Thanks to him, everything is fine. Now our medical company is working at the stabilisation point. We have resuscitation vehicles and evacuation teams. Yes, we are still recruiting staff, because there are very few good specialists. In addition, to become a professional, you need to learn and gain experience in these conditions, which takes some time. As for me, we have gathered great people. Everyone is in the right place.
My only wish is for rotations. When we left in the autumn of 2023, we returned to the permanent deployment point only when we were allowed to go on leave. That is, 15 days every six months. This is all we have. Perhaps, if there was such an opportunity, we would like to stay at home for a month or two. Then we would come back and continue working. But we don't have that opportunity yet. And the work is taking its toll - the internal tension is gradually building up. People need to rest.
By the way, last year everyone was "offended" by me (smiles - O.M.) because I went on leave and broke my leg. I was at home for two and a half months. And everyone was like: "Oh, you! Look, everyone went on leave, but no one did what you did. Did you do it on purpose?" I say: "It was force majeure! I was visiting, coming back when it was dark. I didn't see the hole, and this happened." Perhaps I needed that to switch too. Although, of course, this is not how I imagined my holiday when you are lying down with a broken leg.
- When you were on holiday, did you feel any changes?
- I have an inner feeling that I haven't changed at all. I talked to my friends, buddies, colleagues, and they say I'm still as cheerful and joking as ever. But those who are more observant think that the light in my eyes has gone out: "You look the same on the outside, but you're different on the inside. It's hard to put into words, but it's noticeable".
- My military friends often repeat this: "We will never be the same again..."
- You know, I always keep in touch with my social circle. We often write each other off, call each other up, even via video. But this time at home I found myself thinking that I didn't want to see anyone... I had this feeling that I needed to be alone. Even though I had a lot of meetings scheduled. However, I realise that I probably need a break from everyone and everything. After all, being in a large enough team all the time takes its toll. Sometimes people need to be alone.
Olha Moskaliuk, "Censor.NET"
Photos provided by Baz
