Colorado & Denver News

by Dr. Dave Hnida
  Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida served his first tour of duty in Iraq as a combat physician and in May 2007 headed back to care for the seriously injured in a field hospital. Hnida expected his second tour of duty to last about 4 months. The following is one of his dispatches from the hospital, located north of Baghdad.

(CBS4) It's been a while since I've written one of these, but it's been a busy few months as I've made my way to the hotbox known as Iraq.

I am working as an emergency physician at a combat hospital north of Baghdad- we are known as a CSH -- pronounced "cash." I am the first physician to see the patients as they are flown in on a medivac (Mike Silva's upcoming job).

I check out their wounds, start treatment and call in the appropriate specialists. I also try to scrub in on as many surgeries as I can. Some days we are busy, some days not. The wounds can also vary from minor to horrific.

I have to admit my first few weeks here were a little rough. Back home you just don't see the improvised explosive device and high-power gunshot wounds that happen in a war.

My very first case was a guy shot through the neck. At home he wouldn't have made it but our surgeons did a terrific job stabilizing him and evacuating for more intensive treatment in Germany.

This deployment is quite a but different from my last one. I haven't been shot at, I haven't shot at anyone. And I don't travel out on the roads like before. I logged almost 1000 miles of travel in 2004.

But this job is stressful in its own way. You pray you never make a mistake that might hurt someone.
I am lucky that the staff here is filled with some really high powered medics and nurses as well as my fellow physicians and anesthetists. I would let them take care of me in a heartbeat.

It's a funny war ... the first one where we soldiers keep track of whats going on via the Internet and tv. (We do occasionally get the time to watch cable) but our primary focus is narrow. We keep our heads on taking care of patients and let the big picture flow on without us ... as if we could change the big picture.

Most of us are reservists so we bring a civilian perspective into a war zone, unlike those who visit for a couple of days and say they see the progress or lack of progress. Even the journalists who are embedded here don't have the view we do.

I know a report is due about the situation here within the next few days. (online editor's note: The report came out on Thursday.)

All I can say is that there are some hard choices that need to be made and some reality checks done. In short, we can win here but it will take lots of time and blood. I hope our leaders have the wisdom and courage to decide the best course and explain that all of the possible options will carry a price.

None of the options are perfect but we need to be told that in straight, non-frightening language. I'll talk more about that and this crazy country in future blogs. (And my views may not be your views but you will get a view from the front seat.)
In the days and weeks to come I will forward along lots of stories as well as some pictures and videos of what we do and what our lives are like.

It's quite a change from the easy life of Colorado, but others have it worse than us. You should be proud of the soldiers who go out day after day in 120+ degree temperatures in full battle gear. They do their job and they don't complain.

Our next generation is a strong generation. I am proud to serve with them and have them trust us with their care.

So I guess we'll call this an intro piece, not a lot of detail but that will follow.

And as for that "paradise" phrase ... we call ourselves "Paradise General Hospital". It comes from the grouchy toned greeting we give and get every day. "How are you doing today?" "Just another day in #!*$#@*! paradise".

Talk to you soon.

(© MMVII CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)