Heat Injuries in Kenya
January 04, 2012
Posted by:Ahmed Al-Nahhas
Heat injuries can be very complex and vary from simple sunburn to more serious cases of sunstroke and malignant hyperthermia. If not investigated and treated quickly, these injuries can have very long lasting effects on your health, and include symptoms of headaches, nausea and the inability to withstand rises in temperature.
Heat injuries can also result in a soldier being considered unfit for deployment, as even mild exercise can affect body temperature and make symptoms worse. Without treatment, these symptoms can persist when soldiers return home and affect your social and family life, or disadvantage you in the job market.
We are currently investigating claims of serious heat injuries suffered during training exercises near Archer’s Post in Kenya, where a water-tank became over chlorinated and the drinking water made unsafe. Our initial investigations indicate that a number of soldiers were injured during training and I would be interested to hear from them.
Whilst it may be difficult for the MOD to guarantee a safe environment in combat situations, there can be no excuse for exposing soldiers to unnecessary risk during training exercises. Heat injuries can be avoided by ensuring that basic and timely medical examinations are carried out and that soldiers are provided with sufficient water