When he arrived in Nepal, Dr. Attila Uner first noticed the devastation to historic temples and world heritage sites. He said locals continued with their daily routines even as the smell of dead bodies permeated the air.
Uner, a clinical professor of emergency medicine at UCLA, is a member of the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force USA 2. The United States Agency for International Development sent the task force to assist in Nepal after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake on April 25.
Uner said the primary goal of his task force was finding survivors in collapsed buildings and getting them out alive. As one of two physicians on the team, he was responsible for providing medical aid to everyone, including the survivors, members of the rescue team and the search and rescue dogs.
“Teams go out and start doing intel, gathering info where there might be survivors from friends and neighbors,” Uner said. “Then we’ll go check out the site and yell, because survivors usually give some sort of acoustic sign.”
Rescuers then send in rescue dogs to search the area. If more than one alerts the crew of a possible survivor, rescuers move in with more equipment.
“We access the patient, send the medical team in, treat him with medication and pull off the weight trapping him,” Uner said.
Dan McKeen, a firefighter with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and member of the search and rescue team, said every time someone found a survivor, it lifted the team’s spirits.
“The guys are very high spirited,” McKeen said. “Every time we find someone, we’re reminded why we travel (to disaster areas) to try to save lives.”
McKeen added he thinks the team’s focus helped maintain morale amid the surrounding destruction and tragedy.
“You know that you’re going to be working long hours over long periods of time,” McKeen said. “We understand that’s our job, so you just keep a good attitude and take what’s given to you.”
Dr. Nichole Bosson, the other doctor on the search and rescue team, said the team’s capabilities were different from those of other medical teams, like one from Israel.
Bosson said the Israeli team brought hundreds of doctors and personnel to establish a field hospital and provide long-term medical care, while the rescue team only provided triage care before moving on to help others.
The doctors also provided medical expertise in a wide range of areas including personal health, occupational health and veterinary care. Uner said they were available to answer any questions rescuers might have about possible health risks related to the environment.
“I answered all sorts of questions, including questions about rats, snakes and diseases in the water,” Uner said. “Is diarrhea a concern? Hepatitis? That’s why I’m there.”
McKeen said he thinks Uner and Bosson were integral members of the team.
“They worked side by side (with rescuers) and they were not afraid to get their hands dirty and help out,” McKeen said. “They saved a lot of lives.”
The task force rescued dozens of people, including a 15-year-old boy five days after the first earthquake and another victim from a collapsed four-story building after the second earthquake. Bosson said such rescues reminded the team of its purpose.
“We had a job to do and the team focused on how it could be useful,” Bosson said. “(The rescues) validated why we were there.”