Hero surgeon Andy shocked after flying in to help stricken city

A HERO Scots medic has told of the humanitarian catastrophe facing the people of Beirut after flying out to help the stricken city following last week’s massive explosion.

Surgeon Andy Kent, based at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, flew to the Lebanese capital within days of the explosion, which killed more than 200 and injured 6000.

He told the Record how even a career in the army failed to prepare him for the sheer scale of devastation and a health system on the point of collapse.

The 56-year-old father of four said: “I did 17 years in the army but I don’t think any amount of training could prepare you for that volume of casualties in such a short space of time. The

BY ANDY SHIPLEY whole system was overwhelmed and in chaos.”

Working with charities UK Med and Humanity Inclusion, Andy will report back to the Department for International Development on what help is needed.

Shuttling between struggling hospitals and chatting to exhausted medics, he said: “The problem in Lebanon goes a lot deeper than this blast – prior to that, the health system was teetering on the brink.

“Then it experienced a surge in coronavirus cases so all that is almost the perfect storm. With 6000 casualties into the system, it’s completely broken.”

Covid cases have now topped 300 a day for the first time, with social distancing impossible in the blast’s immediate aftermath. Andy added: “Covid was becoming a huge problem before the blast – now we’re anticipating a huge surge.

“The anticipation is that these numbers will skyrocket and the implications of that is the medical services will be in dire straits.”

Many casualties will need long-term rehab after suffering slashed tendons and deep cuts to arms, legs and faces from flying glass.

Andy said: “The devastation is just horrendous – people were physically thrown by the blastwave against walls and buildings.

“People were literally picked up and thrown across their living rooms.”

Yet he said the death toll would have been up to “100 times a higher” had the blast rocked the city before the port and neighbouring offices emptied at the end of the day.

With the August 4 explosion believed to have been caused by thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate – which were stored in a warehouse – civil unrest is making life harder, with hospital visits disrupted by road blocks and demonstrations.

Andy also works on humanitarian response for the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh and sits on the medical board of the Halo Trust mine-clearing charity.

The day of the blast was the first day of his holiday at home in Inverness with his wife Jill, 55, a primary school teacher.

Andy said: “I’m very grateful to have a supportive wife and family and also my colleagues at Raigmore.”

The UK has pledged £20million to the World Food Programme and £5million to the emergency relief effort in Beirut.

International development secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “The Lebanese people continue to be in our thoughts at this terrible time.

“The UK is sending these world-leading medics to use their expertise and to make sure the people of Lebanon get the help they need as quickly as possible.

“This field team comes on top of the UK’s substantial military support and aid package.

“We will do everything we can to help the people of Lebanon in their hour of need.”