Day 7 – Thu 01 Oct: Dusseldorf and Cologne

We needed an early breakfast, and we were ready and waiting for the dining room doors to open at 6:30am!  A quick but filling breakfast was followed by a quick change of clothes into something more respectable for the visit to the Airforce Barracks Cologne-Wahn as part of the MEPS Host Nation Visit day.

There were two buses this morning.  One left from the CCD for those living closer to that than the MEPS hotel – Mercure Dusseldorf City Nord.  Our bus departed a little after 8am for Cologne, and we arrived at the Officers Mess Cologne-Wahn about 9:15am.  We had mornos and a pit stop and it was then back onto the buses.  We were split into three groups to visit three programmes each.  I was on Bus 1 with the important people – MEPS Board members, Arne, RADM Stephan Apel (representing the Surgeon General Bundeswehr). 

On the bus to Cologne

Officer Mess Cologne-Wahn

Magda, Guido, Hana, Patrick, Maureen (hidden), Paul

Sahara, Ismail, Jane, Gordon

Arne, Alex, Johan, Tom

Our hosts

Richard, Régis, Peter, Nicolas

Sylvain, Eiko, Zheng-yu, Eva. Cansel

Helena, Eva, Cansel

Liping, Zheng-yu, Sylvain, Lixin, Yan-yan

Steve, Sally, Gordon

Ladies rest-room at the Officers Mess

MEPS members & spouses/partners and our German hosts

Our (Bus 1) first stop was at the DLR - Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Centre).  Here we were given a presentation about the DLR and then taken on a walk to visit Envihab, (combined term for "environment" and "habitat"). Envihab is a medical research facility of the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at DLR, where the effects of different environmental conditions on human beings are investigated together with possible countermeasures. The focus is on research questions that deal with the preservation of the health and performance of humans in zero gravity conditions, and testing is done completely in-house. Subjects are isolated, immobilized and exposed to a number of targeted stress situations.  Special features of Envihab include the human centrifuge, oxygen reduction ranges and a pressure range in which heights can be simulated up to 5500 m.  One of the targeted stress situations is complete bedrest, ie. a ground based simulation of spaceflight where volunteers stay in bed for up to three months with their feet elevated at 8deg; they are not allowed to sit nor stand for the entire 3 months!  Their bodies adapt to this lifestyle in similar ways to spaceflight – fluids shift to the head and muscles and bones waste away.  Bedrest studies offer an ideal test-bed for measures to counteract the negative effects of rehabilitation after surgery, wheelchair-bound patients and even people with a sedentary lifestyle.  Even though volunteers are compensated very well for these experiments, I know I would not like to be one of the ones consigned to complete bed-rest for 3 months!! Psychological stress testing includes being shut in a room with no sound, not even an echo!  Again, “no, but thank you for asking!”

On our return to the bus, we stopped at the DLR Space Research and Administration Centre to be given a presentation on the Rosetta Mission – the journey to the comet 67P by the Philae probe.  The mission took 10 years to land the probe on the comet, however, not all went according to plan.  Philae failed to attach itself to the comet and lifted off again and landed in an undesirable spot leaving it with little solar exposure, therefore very little power.  A considerable amount of scientific data was acquired by the probe before the power failed.  The same building monitors the International Space Station with real-time video feed.  That was all happening behind triple-glazed glass windows, so whilst we could not hear anything, we did see the ISS on the screens.  Photography was verboten! More information on the DLR can be found at www.dlr.de/en .

Model of an American spacecraft

A picture on the wall

It was again onto the bus to head back to the Officers Mess for lunch – a delicious three-course affair: salad, turkey casserole with rice, and dessert (can’t remember exactly what is was though!!).  We were welcomed by Rear Admiral Dr, Stephan Apel, Bundeswehr Medical Service Deputy Chief of Staff on behalf of the Bundeswehr Surgeon General.  He mentioned all MEPS Board Members by name, and Jane, ZY and I got to sit at the head table. 

Head table for lunch

My spot at the head table

Zheng-yu thanking our host - RADM Stephan Apel

After lunch, it was back on the bus, this time to visit the Presentation about the tasks of the Bundeswehr pharmacy service.  This presentation included visiting the pharmacy department of a Field Hospital that had been set up to show us what they do.  This was a very interesting visit, as the Germans get to do a whole lot more interesting stuff than we do in Australia.  Pharmacy in the Bundeswehr includes: medical logistics, pharmaceutical production (limited to basic injectables, eye drops, lotions, tablets), analysis of food, water and articles of daily use, analysis of drugs and other medicinal products, inpatient and outpatient pharmacy services, and production of oxygen (93% pure).

Outside the Field Pharmacy

The last visit of the day for Bus 1 was to the Bundeswehr MEDEVAC Airbus A310.  This aircraft is one of five, but is the only dedicated AME aircraft, is on call 24/7 and can undertake AME worldwide.  There are a total of 44 beds on board: 6 ICU, 16 MDU, and 22 LDU.  There is more medical equipment on-board this aircraft than in most medium hospitals in Australia.  It transports enough medical stores, (3.5t), including oxygen, to treat a full load of patients for 24 hours.  With all beds occupied, there will be five doctors and 20 other medical/nursing/loggies on-board, one ICU patient requires a minimum of five medical personnel.

The German Air Force Terminal

Inside the A310 Medevac aircraft - 42 beds and required equipment

It was then time to head back to Dusseldorf.  After arriving at the hotel, a few of us agreed to meet for dinner at the Biergarten behind the hotel.  “H”, Magda, Guido, Eric, Mike and myself had dinner together in a very relaxed atmosphere.  It was great to catch up with Magda and Guido again, and of course meet Mike.  We all had schnitzels of varying descriptions and they were H U G E!  All washed down with a couple of Alt beers.  It was a great end to a very busy but fantastic day.

Cheers

Magda and me





 












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