Hostile Environment Surgical and Anaesthetic Training (HEST)

In collaboration between the Palestinian Doctors Association and the David Nott Foundation, we aim to train and qualify more than 100 doctors who wish to contribute to providing relief to our people affected by the ravages of war in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Hostile Environment Surgical and Anaesthetic Training (HEST)

Developed and led by David Nott, this course is designed to enhance the skills of surgeons and anesthetists, better preparing them for the daily challenges they face in war zones and disaster-stricken areas. It also aims to assist doctors traveling to such regions.

The course equips doctors with the necessary skills to make rapid, critical decisions while preserving medical resources. It covers a range of surgical procedures and addresses common emergencies during disasters and wars, characterized by equipment shortages and a high volume of medical cases requiring urgent interventions to save lives.

Given that working in crisis zones often rules out cadaveric teaching, the HEST course relies on practical exercises, including suturing prosthetic organs and blood vessels, as well as demonstrations on our specially designed full-body simulator. We also simulate mass casualty scenarios, training our surgeons in the decision-making skills needed to prioritize patients and save lives.

The course focuses on cases associated with wars and disasters, ranging from gunshot and explosive injuries to violent injuries resulting from building collapses and fires. It also covers post-disaster procedures, including skin flaps and grafts, as well as the management of orthopedic fractures using external fixation and amputation cases.

During the course, doctors learn how to make decisions and manage emergency cases related to obstetrics and childbirth, including postpartum hemorrhage and cesarean sections.

The course spans a full four days, during which doctors can expect to cover the following specialties:

Primary and secondary survey, Damage control,  Ballistics.  Cardiothoracic trauma.  Vascular surgery,  Head and neck trauma,  Paediatric surgery,  Abdominal trauma,  Orthopaedic surgery,  Plastic surgery, Trauma in obstetrics and gynaecology.

https://davidnottfoundation.com