Polish military doctors awarded US prize
PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek
06.02.2017 13:29
Doctors from Poland’s Military Institute of Medicine have received an award by the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons, the first time the prize has gone to non-US doctors.
Photo: mon.gov.pl/Anna Jakubczyk.
Doctors Lt. Col. Marcin Wojtkowski and Maj. Jakub Ziółek were awarded for their research on injuries sustained by soldiers in armoured vehicles when attacked with an improvised explosive device (IED).
IEDs are used in partisan wars, such as in Iraq and Afghanistan, and can be made using various explosives, including gun powder, old ammunition and even fertilizer.
A strong IED explosion can kill soldiers inside a tank, as well as cause injury to the skull, spine and break bones.
The Polish medical team’s three-year study included 221 Afghanistan veterans who were victims of IED attacks and beat 40 other studies nominated for the award. (vb/rg)