A PARAMEDIC is set to leave Somerset behind and return to war-torn Afghanistan to help train local hospital staff.

Nich Woolf visited Mazar i Sharif in the north of the country two years ago and prepared staff with dealing with emergencies.

The skills he passed on proved especially useful when a suicide bomb just months later killed four and left 27 injured.

Now he is preparing to return to Afghanistan along with oral and facial surgeon Cath Adams to pass on more training to hospital staff.

Nich, who lives in Burnham, said he is looking forward to flying out there in April.

He said: “The objectives this time include setting up a resuscitation training programme that the hospital can then run and maintain, as well as helping them write a major incident plan to refer to in emergencies.”

He will also take out medical equipment donated to Festival Medical Services to supplement the teams in Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan Nich and Cath will work with the Sandy Gall Afghanistan Appeal (SGAA) which provides medical assistance and rehabilitation for victims of war and terrorism.

Nich said: “There is no doubt that the work of the SGAA is changing lives and the training and equipment we provide is vitally needed and gratefully received.

“The previous visit was useful in that a number of hospital staff were successfully trained. However it identified the need for Afghans to be able to train themselves.”

Nich also appealed for anyone who can translate English into the Afghan languages of Dari or Pushto to contact him on 0777 3333262, as the team need to translate checklists and triage cards before they leave.