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CNN Live Today

Reporting with the 'Devil Docs'

Aired April 03, 2003 - 10:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN CNN ANCHOR: CNN correspondent Sanjay Gupta is a doctor. You know that. He himself is embedded with a group of Navy doctors. They're known as the "devil docs." As in any war, the doctors are seeing a variety of wounds, and have worked hard under tough conditions to treat Iraqi civilians who have been hurt in this war.
Dr. Gupta, embedded there with the devil docs, what's happening today, by way of videophone. Sanjay, good afternoon. Good evening there.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Bill. Good afternoon to you as well.

Repairing the wounds of war, that's exactly what's going on here. Bill, it's been a very busy day, a flurry of activity. You may be able to hear a helicopter. There have been several coming in, bridging in patients continuously. Over to my right side here, there are four operating tables, and just beyond a few other tents, there are two other operating tables, and they are beginning to get used, and they're beginning to get used quite a bit, Bill, as you know.

We are quite a bit further north from the last time you and I spoke. That's because these forward resuscitative surgical suites of which the Naval surgeon staff, they move forward, they move forward just like the troops do. The commander of such a forward resuscitative surgical suite is Commander Rob Hinks. He joins me today.

First of all, thank you for joining us.

DR. ROB HINKS, OFFICER IN CHARGE: Thank you.

GUPTA: A lot of people met you a couple of weeks ago. It's been a couple of weeks now. What sort of things are you seeing as a surgeon, as a doctor?

HINKS: we are seeing a full range of the trauma from head, neck, chest and abdomen. We are seeing civilians, as well as enemy prisoners of war, as well as the Marines, and we're trying to take care of everyone equally.

GUPTA: Yes, right.

One of the questions that comes up a lot if the percentage of Iraqi versus coalition force members. The percentage was about 70-30 last time you and I spoke a couple of weeks ago. How are those percentages doing now?

HINKS: I would agree it's about the same now, Sanjay.

GUPTA: And those patients, they're getting the same care? I mean, they're being airlifted in, brought in by ambulances, the same as coalition force members.

HINKS: Yes, sir, that's exactly right.

GUPTA: Tell me about today. Tell me about some of the things today.

HINKS: Today, as you know, we had a case of a small child who had a severe head injury, who was brought here along with family members, and we were very lucky to have Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon extraordinaire, present to help us operate, as he graciously did, as a humanitarian gesture. Unfortunately, the child died, but without his help, there would have been no chance.

GUPTA: Well, I appreciate that as well.

HINKS: And we welcome you as an honorary member of the devil docs.

GUPTA: Honorary member, thank you very much. That's quite an honor. Let me say, Bill, I was asked to help out today, as Dr. Hinks mentioned. They came to me, a 2-year-old child did, have a bullet wound or shrapnel wound to the head, and I felt it was my medical moral obligation to help out in that situation, which I did.

It has been very busy, Bill. The helicopters have just left. There are certainly more to come. It's like this all of the time; 24 hours a day we hear the helicopters. These guys are doing a tremendous job, taking care of, again, both Iraqis, coalition force members, anybody that comes in.

Bill, back to you.

HEMMER: Sanjay, back to this operation that you were describing. How did you get involved in that?

GUPTA: Well, you know, Dr. Hinks and I and several of the other devil docs have developed a good rapport over the time that I'm here. They know that I'm a neurosurgeon. They don't have any neurosurgeons here on the base.

When this 2-year-old child came in with an obviously devastating head injury, they came to me and asked me, could you help out? Could you take a look at the child and possibly operate. I did do that. I did decide that the patient, that the child did need an operation. It was one of those thing, Bill. I'll tell you, medically and morally, I thought it was absolutely the right thing to do. It was a heroic -- it was not an elective operation, but a heroic attempt to try to save the child's life.

Just really just the amazing sorts of injuries that we see here. This was one of them. This was one small one that I participated in. These guys are doing these continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They've been doing this for the last couple of weeks now, and until the end. That's exactly what they're here to do, and they will be moving north. We're north now. They're planning on moving further north, maybe even later on today -- Bill.

HEMMER: Doctors, as much as you can tell us, Sanjay, how did that procedure go?

GUPTA: Well, that 2-year-old child did not make it, Bill. As I mentioned, it was a life -- trying to save the child's life. The child was in what we call extremist, meaning literally probably had minutes to live at the time that we actually examined the patient. We did successfully perform the brain part of the operation. However, I think that it was one of those situations where a significant injury had occurred. We thought that we could hopefully turn that around, and we were almost there, but in this particular situation, the child didn't make it. That happens as well, Bill, and it's not easy for any of these doctors to take. They're trying very hard. It's incredibly difficult work, with incredibly scarce resources, but there are more successes, I guarantee you, than there are failures, and in that, they take a great deal of solace -- Bill.

HEMMER: Sanjay, it's my understanding this incident took place near some sort of checkpoint. I don't know whether that was near you or not. Can you give us more information on that?

GUPTA: Well, the details are a bit sketchy right now, Bill. What we heard was it did take place near a checkpoint. It was a firing incident, a firing incident. We don't really have more details than that. The child and his mother were brought here. They both had significant injuries, significant bullet injuries. The details of which we're still trying to figure out ourselves. We don't want to speak out of school on this particular issue. The Marines with us are trying to confirm details about this at this point.

But what we can tell you it is that was a 2-year-old child and his mother. They were fired upon. The child did not survive -- Bill.

HEMMER: Wow. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, embedded with the devil docs, the Marines, the Navy corpsmen, again, moving through south central Iraq. Sanjay by way of videophone, thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired April 3, 2003 - 10:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN CNN ANCHOR: CNN correspondent Sanjay Gupta is a doctor. You know that. He himself is embedded with a group of Navy doctors. They're known as the "devil docs." As in any war, the doctors are seeing a variety of wounds, and have worked hard under tough conditions to treat Iraqi civilians who have been hurt in this war.
Dr. Gupta, embedded there with the devil docs, what's happening today, by way of videophone. Sanjay, good afternoon. Good evening there.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Bill. Good afternoon to you as well.

Repairing the wounds of war, that's exactly what's going on here. Bill, it's been a very busy day, a flurry of activity. You may be able to hear a helicopter. There have been several coming in, bridging in patients continuously. Over to my right side here, there are four operating tables, and just beyond a few other tents, there are two other operating tables, and they are beginning to get used, and they're beginning to get used quite a bit, Bill, as you know.

We are quite a bit further north from the last time you and I spoke. That's because these forward resuscitative surgical suites of which the Naval surgeon staff, they move forward, they move forward just like the troops do. The commander of such a forward resuscitative surgical suite is Commander Rob Hinks. He joins me today.

First of all, thank you for joining us.

DR. ROB HINKS, OFFICER IN CHARGE: Thank you.

GUPTA: A lot of people met you a couple of weeks ago. It's been a couple of weeks now. What sort of things are you seeing as a surgeon, as a doctor?

HINKS: we are seeing a full range of the trauma from head, neck, chest and abdomen. We are seeing civilians, as well as enemy prisoners of war, as well as the Marines, and we're trying to take care of everyone equally.

GUPTA: Yes, right.

One of the questions that comes up a lot if the percentage of Iraqi versus coalition force members. The percentage was about 70-30 last time you and I spoke a couple of weeks ago. How are those percentages doing now?

HINKS: I would agree it's about the same now, Sanjay.

GUPTA: And those patients, they're getting the same care? I mean, they're being airlifted in, brought in by ambulances, the same as coalition force members.

HINKS: Yes, sir, that's exactly right.

GUPTA: Tell me about today. Tell me about some of the things today.

HINKS: Today, as you know, we had a case of a small child who had a severe head injury, who was brought here along with family members, and we were very lucky to have Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon extraordinaire, present to help us operate, as he graciously did, as a humanitarian gesture. Unfortunately, the child died, but without his help, there would have been no chance.

GUPTA: Well, I appreciate that as well.

HINKS: And we welcome you as an honorary member of the devil docs.

GUPTA: Honorary member, thank you very much. That's quite an honor. Let me say, Bill, I was asked to help out today, as Dr. Hinks mentioned. They came to me, a 2-year-old child did, have a bullet wound or shrapnel wound to the head, and I felt it was my medical moral obligation to help out in that situation, which I did.

It has been very busy, Bill. The helicopters have just left. There are certainly more to come. It's like this all of the time; 24 hours a day we hear the helicopters. These guys are doing a tremendous job, taking care of, again, both Iraqis, coalition force members, anybody that comes in.

Bill, back to you.

HEMMER: Sanjay, back to this operation that you were describing. How did you get involved in that?

GUPTA: Well, you know, Dr. Hinks and I and several of the other devil docs have developed a good rapport over the time that I'm here. They know that I'm a neurosurgeon. They don't have any neurosurgeons here on the base.

When this 2-year-old child came in with an obviously devastating head injury, they came to me and asked me, could you help out? Could you take a look at the child and possibly operate. I did do that. I did decide that the patient, that the child did need an operation. It was one of those thing, Bill. I'll tell you, medically and morally, I thought it was absolutely the right thing to do. It was a heroic -- it was not an elective operation, but a heroic attempt to try to save the child's life.

Just really just the amazing sorts of injuries that we see here. This was one of them. This was one small one that I participated in. These guys are doing these continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They've been doing this for the last couple of weeks now, and until the end. That's exactly what they're here to do, and they will be moving north. We're north now. They're planning on moving further north, maybe even later on today -- Bill.

HEMMER: Doctors, as much as you can tell us, Sanjay, how did that procedure go?

GUPTA: Well, that 2-year-old child did not make it, Bill. As I mentioned, it was a life -- trying to save the child's life. The child was in what we call extremist, meaning literally probably had minutes to live at the time that we actually examined the patient. We did successfully perform the brain part of the operation. However, I think that it was one of those situations where a significant injury had occurred. We thought that we could hopefully turn that around, and we were almost there, but in this particular situation, the child didn't make it. That happens as well, Bill, and it's not easy for any of these doctors to take. They're trying very hard. It's incredibly difficult work, with incredibly scarce resources, but there are more successes, I guarantee you, than there are failures, and in that, they take a great deal of solace -- Bill.

HEMMER: Sanjay, it's my understanding this incident took place near some sort of checkpoint. I don't know whether that was near you or not. Can you give us more information on that?

GUPTA: Well, the details are a bit sketchy right now, Bill. What we heard was it did take place near a checkpoint. It was a firing incident, a firing incident. We don't really have more details than that. The child and his mother were brought here. They both had significant injuries, significant bullet injuries. The details of which we're still trying to figure out ourselves. We don't want to speak out of school on this particular issue. The Marines with us are trying to confirm details about this at this point.

But what we can tell you it is that was a 2-year-old child and his mother. They were fired upon. The child did not survive -- Bill.

HEMMER: Wow. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, embedded with the devil docs, the Marines, the Navy corpsmen, again, moving through south central Iraq. Sanjay by way of videophone, thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com