Ukrainian medics that had undergone training courses by the Estonian organization Vaba-Ukraina (Free Ukraine) started teaching combat medicine to soldiers upon their return home. They noticed that the soldiers had a hard time remembering the protocol (C)ABCDE that is based on the Latin alphabet. They decided to adjust the language, while keeping the substance of the protocol unchanged. The result is KOLESO (the Ukrainian word for a wheel).
Why is this important? When helping a wounded soldier, seconds matter. Vital functions need to be checked and the nature of the injury must be ascertained. The order of the checks and procedures that must be performed is important. Each letter in the acronym corresponds to a certain procedure. The Ukrainian alphabet differs from the Latin alphabet. The word „KOLESO,” however, is easy to remember.
This innovation was presented to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. At the time of writing, KOLESO has been adopted for official use in the Ukrainian army, initially for testing, but it is quite likely that soon it will become an integral component of the basic training that all new soldiers go through. The activities of the Estonian NGO dedicated to Ukraine’s freedom is producing innovative breakthroughs that is changing the way that combat medicine is being taught in Ukraine.
NGO Free Ukraine, part of the Verified Ways to Help the Ukrainian Army, has been organizing courses in Tactical Combat Casualty Care for Ukrainian medics, as well as shipping medical supplies to Ukrainians fighting for the independence and integrity of their country. The intensive TCCC courses, which teach life-saving first aid procedures and skills, are organized jointly with the Estonian National Defense College. Forty Ukrainian medics have been trained so far. The organization continues its efforts with offering courses to more Ukrainian medics. Read more about their activities here.
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