Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Interview With Military Doctor Operating on Iraqi Soldiers

Aired March 25, 2003 - 15:39   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.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: A very important part of this story. Another part of this story, of course, is the fact that the U.S. military has to deal with injuries. U.S. troops, British troops, other troops, as well as Iraqi forces.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, our CNN medical correspondent is embedded with a special unit of U.S. military doctors. They are called the Devil Docs. He's joining us now from somewhere inside Iraq. Sanjay, how busy are those doctors right now?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is just continuous, Wolf. I'll tell you, you can see behind me just how busy it is. We're in an area called the jump ward. This is where a lot of patients come. Some of the patients who aren't as critically wounded as to need an operation, but I can assure you it is very busy.

This particular ward actually is separated into two parts. One side are the Iraqi soldiers who come here for treatment, and the other side, coalition force soldiers. There are about 10 Iraqi soldiers here right now and about six coalition force soldiers all being treated. Busy all the time, 24 hours a day.

And no one knows that better really than Dr. John Uecker, lieutenant commander of the U.S. Navy, one of the Devil Docs. We know today you got a little bit of a reprieve because of the sandstorm, where nothing was coming in. But how busy has it been?

LT. CMDR. JOHN UECKER, U.S. NAVY: Well, it's been real busy. Last night we had a group of seven casualties come in at once. One of those required an operation. We removed the spleen and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to clear (ph) his diaphragm.

Another patient had a very severe injury to his arm requiring an amputation. And then several others were triaged through our shock trauma platoon.

GUPTA: You know, I have a question. Were you surprised at how many of your patients are Iraqi versus coalition forces?

UECKER: Yes I am. I knew we'd be taking care of some of those, but I didn't know to this degree.

GUPTA: Yes. You know this place is amazing. It's totally mobile, which means you're going to be moving likely with the front line troops as they move closer to Baghdad. What are your concerns, first of all, professionally, resource wise?

UECKER: Well, our supplies are definitely a big issue. We travel light. We only have a limited supply and re-supply. So we only have a limited capacity, and certainly we have the ability to get re-supplied, but those connections are sometimes tough to get.

GUPTA: And, you know, one thing, you are a doctor, I'm a doctor. Personally speaking, you know you are in harm's way. We're in harm's way now, and maybe even more so as you move closer to the front line. What goes through your mind as you're thinking about this?

UECKER: Well, we just try to keep our head down and stay out of the way. And we have faith in the Marines that are in front of us that they are securing the area for us and keeping us safe.

GUPTA: All right. From Texas, you got anybody you'd like to say "Hi" to?

UECKER: Well I'd love to say hello to my wife, Janice (ph) and daughter, Olivia (ph).

GUPTA: He hasn't seen them in over six weeks, Wolf. Been working very hard. I've seen it happening at 24-hour stretches, just like residency, quite honestly. But very, very busy and very, very successful outcomes for these patients here -- Wolf.

BLITZER: These are all Navy doctors, right, Sanjay?

GUPTA: That's right. The Marine Corps doesn't have any separate medical corps. So the U.S. Navy does supply doctors, and they call them the Devil Docs. Sort of a colloquialism, but that is the name some give them.

Dr. Uecker, who you just met, is a general surgeon. He practices back stateside, but he is here now supporting the troops medically.

GUPTA: So he's a reservist. Sanjay, a lot of our viewers know you're a medical doctor yourself. You're not only a medical doctor, you have a specialty. You're a neurosurgeon.

If they need your help, presumably you're ready to help out in an emergency. That's your ethical responsibility, right?

GUPTA: That's exactly right, Wolf. In fact, that's something I thought about and actually talked about with the doctors when I got here. They don't have a neurosurgeon here. If a head injury or something like that were to come in, I certainly would be willing and happy to help out and assist.

There's a gentlemen over here who has an injury to his neck. I was helping actually look at his neck a little earlier today. Absolutely, Wolf, the answer to your question, both an ethical and medical responsibility to do just that -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Sanjay. Let's hope you don't have to get involved in that. My suspicion is you might at some point down the road. Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He's embedded with the U.S. Marines, the Navy doctors, the so-called Devil Docs that are right now performing medical treatment for U.S. and Iraqi enemy troops somewhere in Iraq.

Thanks very much, Sanjay. Be careful where you are.

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





Soldiers>


Aired March 25, 2003 - 15:39   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: A very important part of this story. Another part of this story, of course, is the fact that the U.S. military has to deal with injuries. U.S. troops, British troops, other troops, as well as Iraqi forces.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, our CNN medical correspondent is embedded with a special unit of U.S. military doctors. They are called the Devil Docs. He's joining us now from somewhere inside Iraq. Sanjay, how busy are those doctors right now?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is just continuous, Wolf. I'll tell you, you can see behind me just how busy it is. We're in an area called the jump ward. This is where a lot of patients come. Some of the patients who aren't as critically wounded as to need an operation, but I can assure you it is very busy.

This particular ward actually is separated into two parts. One side are the Iraqi soldiers who come here for treatment, and the other side, coalition force soldiers. There are about 10 Iraqi soldiers here right now and about six coalition force soldiers all being treated. Busy all the time, 24 hours a day.

And no one knows that better really than Dr. John Uecker, lieutenant commander of the U.S. Navy, one of the Devil Docs. We know today you got a little bit of a reprieve because of the sandstorm, where nothing was coming in. But how busy has it been?

LT. CMDR. JOHN UECKER, U.S. NAVY: Well, it's been real busy. Last night we had a group of seven casualties come in at once. One of those required an operation. We removed the spleen and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to clear (ph) his diaphragm.

Another patient had a very severe injury to his arm requiring an amputation. And then several others were triaged through our shock trauma platoon.

GUPTA: You know, I have a question. Were you surprised at how many of your patients are Iraqi versus coalition forces?

UECKER: Yes I am. I knew we'd be taking care of some of those, but I didn't know to this degree.

GUPTA: Yes. You know this place is amazing. It's totally mobile, which means you're going to be moving likely with the front line troops as they move closer to Baghdad. What are your concerns, first of all, professionally, resource wise?

UECKER: Well, our supplies are definitely a big issue. We travel light. We only have a limited supply and re-supply. So we only have a limited capacity, and certainly we have the ability to get re-supplied, but those connections are sometimes tough to get.

GUPTA: And, you know, one thing, you are a doctor, I'm a doctor. Personally speaking, you know you are in harm's way. We're in harm's way now, and maybe even more so as you move closer to the front line. What goes through your mind as you're thinking about this?

UECKER: Well, we just try to keep our head down and stay out of the way. And we have faith in the Marines that are in front of us that they are securing the area for us and keeping us safe.

GUPTA: All right. From Texas, you got anybody you'd like to say "Hi" to?

UECKER: Well I'd love to say hello to my wife, Janice (ph) and daughter, Olivia (ph).

GUPTA: He hasn't seen them in over six weeks, Wolf. Been working very hard. I've seen it happening at 24-hour stretches, just like residency, quite honestly. But very, very busy and very, very successful outcomes for these patients here -- Wolf.

BLITZER: These are all Navy doctors, right, Sanjay?

GUPTA: That's right. The Marine Corps doesn't have any separate medical corps. So the U.S. Navy does supply doctors, and they call them the Devil Docs. Sort of a colloquialism, but that is the name some give them.

Dr. Uecker, who you just met, is a general surgeon. He practices back stateside, but he is here now supporting the troops medically.

GUPTA: So he's a reservist. Sanjay, a lot of our viewers know you're a medical doctor yourself. You're not only a medical doctor, you have a specialty. You're a neurosurgeon.

If they need your help, presumably you're ready to help out in an emergency. That's your ethical responsibility, right?

GUPTA: That's exactly right, Wolf. In fact, that's something I thought about and actually talked about with the doctors when I got here. They don't have a neurosurgeon here. If a head injury or something like that were to come in, I certainly would be willing and happy to help out and assist.

There's a gentlemen over here who has an injury to his neck. I was helping actually look at his neck a little earlier today. Absolutely, Wolf, the answer to your question, both an ethical and medical responsibility to do just that -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Sanjay. Let's hope you don't have to get involved in that. My suspicion is you might at some point down the road. Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He's embedded with the U.S. Marines, the Navy doctors, the so-called Devil Docs that are right now performing medical treatment for U.S. and Iraqi enemy troops somewhere in Iraq.

Thanks very much, Sanjay. Be careful where you are.

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





Soldiers>