A glimpse into deployed operations from a Health Services perspective

Outside of the Health Services elements, HSS Coy was supported by combat arms members (infantry and artillery) for patient movement and co‑ordination on camp, and throughout exercises to greatly augment our capabilities.

While most incoming Roto 22‑02 personnel were from 1 Fd Amb, departing members largely belonged to 5 Fd Amb out of Valcartier, Que. The multinational clinic—the health services facility from which most routine care was provided—was run by Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members (as the Framework Nation), and staffed by Canadians, as well as by medical care providers from a variety of NATO countries. The largest contingent from the Sending Nations (allied nations on camp) was the Spanish medical team, followed by members from Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Czechia.

From the early stages of the deployment, our team sought to establish and update key documents and policies to support the clinic and camp, while concurrently spending time with our allies to learn about their team compositions and capabilities. The clinic managed daily sick parade for Canadians, as well as for smaller nations who lacked medical supports within Latvia.

Working with a variety of international members, both staff and patients, pushed our team to overcome linguistic barriers by learning a variety of helpful phrases in numerous languages to improve patient outcomes.

The Latvian military medical facility was located adjacent to our own facility and its primary responsibility was to provide support to the Latvian Forces both in garrison and in the field. Although the Canadian (multinational) and Latvian clinics worked separately, they could rely on each other for support, including medical testing, facility bookings, medical training and information exchange. This benefited both parties and the relationship between our nations grew closer through our collaborative work.

Throughout the deployment, our staff handled a variety of routine and emergent cases, including tackling COVID‑19 as it remained an issue for many CAF members. At the beginning of the deployment, the COVID‑19 holding facilities for those in isolation were comprised of modular tents and heaters or A/C units to ensure patient comfort. This worked well in the summer, but as the fall weather swept in patients had to contend with the harsh elements and many isolation spaces eventually became unavailable or required drastic modifications. As a result, patients were relocated to rooms in the Latvian clinic and transient quarters for recovery, while our medical technicians and clinicians worked tirelessly to provide around‑the‑clock care for the camp. Many shifts would stretch late into the night or begin early in the morning as camp members required testing and isolation at all hours. In the late fall, HSS Coy held a joint flu immunization and COVID‑19 booster clinic that was widely attended and greatly appreciated by deployed personnel.

Providing direct support to the Battle Group (the combat arms elements of eFP Latvia) on field exercises was another mission essential task our medical teams handled throughout the deployment. Significant emphasis was placed on military interoperability to improve offensive and defensive skills in difficult terrain. Many of our medical technicians were pushed forward with the fighting echelons, working in platoons and manoeuvring in light armoured vehicles, while others operated out of light support vehicle wheeled ambulances or light armoured vehicle ambulances.

The main body of the field deployed medical element consisted of a team of medical personnel that consisted of medical technicians and medical assistants working alongside doctors and physician assistants. These teams operated out of ambulances and modular tents to provide rapid support and evacuation of patients in emergency situations. Our teams lived and worked outdoors for many days at a time, all to provide immediate and reliable care to their patients.