Severely Wounded Cypriot Soldiers Airlifted to Sheba for Treatment

Cypriot Defense Minister Koullis Mavronicolas and the chief medical officer of the Cypriot Army visited the Sheba Medical Center yesterday (August 8, 2005) to visit two severely injured Cypriot National Guardsmen. The two soldiers and sixteen others were injured in a massive July 27 munitions explosion at a Cypriot army base, considered the military's "worst-ever peacetime accident". Following the accident, Defense Minister Mavronicolas submitted his resignation, which was rejected by Cypriot President Papadopoulos.

The two injured soldiers were airlifted to Sheba almost two weeks ago to receive advanced trauma treatment for their severe injuries. One of the soldiers underwent a series of difficult surgeries, including plastic surgery. While still listed in serious condition, he is expected to survive. The other soldier remains in critical condition. He has lost massive amounts of blood and is receiving specialized blood coagulant therapies, including the administration of advanced biological glues and expensive blood factor products to stop his bleeding

Cypriot Defense Minister Mavronicolas, himself an eye doctor, expressed his deep appreciation, and that of the Cypriot President, for Sheba's outstanding effort to save the two soldiers' lives. After visiting with the injured men and their families, Mavronicolas toured the hospital's world-leading Center for Medical Simulation. He expressed a strong interest in having Cypriot military doctors train at the Center in advanced trauma techniques.