Medical reconnaissance for the Defence Medical Services Dhaulagiri Expedition 2016

The formation of a clear and well-informed medical plan is critical to the safe planning and execution of any expedition in remote locations. We performed a reconnaissance of medical facilities in Nepal in March 2015 prior to a large Defence Medical Services (DMS) expedition to the Dhaulagiri area in 2016. Visiting relevant medical facilities in person provides invaluable information and experience of what healthcare services may be relied upon in managing an expedition casualty, in scenarios ranging from minor illness to major trauma. We describe the principles, practice and level of detail required for performing such a medical reconnaissance and illustrate this with examples of our findings from Nepal.