37- year old Sachin Handa is a British army Warrant Officer, Class Two, who is also a Military Radiographer based at Defence Medical Group South East (Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey). He provides a high-quality imaging service for Defence Medical Services and NHS.
In the UK he operates alongside his civilian colleagues to treat all patients, not just military ones.
“On operations we provide the same high quality of imaging as would be expected at home, because the ability to provide diagnostic images within seconds is crucial to saving lives in high-intensity trauma situations. As a military radiographer I am a SNCO (senior non-commissioned officer). My role is to ensure clinical competency to deploy at short notice on operations and contingency exercises,” he said to me.
What makes this kind of person? Let’s start with the genesis. Born in Chandigarh, Sachin’s Indian parents were Indian Government civil servants before they retired.
Influences and behaviour
Sachin says that he was cheeky and “always in trouble at school. I wanted to be famous- that was my motivation. I was an electronics engineer. I wanted to do my higher education in England and moved to the UK to do a Masters in Electronics and communication.”
Sachin joined the military “To settle in the UK and get permanent citizenship. It was transformed into a great career move when they sponsored my education.”
Frank speaking; early challenges
“My challenges started with my initial fitness test, my English and basic stuff like using a knife, fork and spoon. Not being born here, having no family support and no role model to aim for or learn from was hard. Whatever is normal for everyone was a challenge. I have served over 15 years, but sometimes it’s still tough. The way I overcome it is by crying, working hard and thinking if I do well then my parents will fly for the first time in a plane and come to see me on my pass off parade.”
Turning point
It was when he finished his basic training at ATR Bassingborn, Royston watched by his parents in May 2001.
Soon after, he started his second phase of training and transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corp from the Royal Engineers as a Radiographer.
He was sponsored full time for a BSC (Hons) in Diagnostic Radiography at Cranfield University at Shrivenham.
“I went to India to see my family. When my family received me at the airport my mum had had a haircut- which confused me. When I asked, I was told by my dad and my sister that mum had had brain surgery without my knowledge. When my parents visited the UK she had increased pressure developed in her brain and later was diagnosed with a brain tumour. It was operated on a few weeks before I visited them. That really hit me. My family had not told me as if I had been informed about her health, they knew I would leave everything and return to India. I felt bad- something could have happened to her- and was angry with them. They did it just for me and my future. But if she had never been to the UK then that tumour would have never been diagnosed.”
Biggest challenge
It was Sachin’s first operational tour in Iraq in 2007, time for all the training and qualification to be put into practice.
“It’s all happening for real. Rockets were landing left right and centre. It was the first time in my life that I thought I could be killed or dead. It was really scary, hard to put in words. But after a bad day with attacks, treating badly injured soldiers in hospital, sharing thoughts with my comrades and fellow colleagues motivated me to keep my head down and keep marching on.”
Military Radiographer
“I lead a team of radiographers. I deliver an NHS standard imaging service, often in challenging environments and if deployed alone. I implement radiation safety, managing radiology and IT equipment to ensure radiology images are diagnostic and transmitted to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham.
The core elements of radiology equipment I deploy with are Direct Digital Radiography, CT scanning, Image Intensifiers and PACS systems.”
Sachin works with NHS colleagues, maintaining necessary clinical expertise to deliver trauma radiography on deployment. He also helps develop junior personnel. “I am state registered with HCPC and seek opportunities to develop,” he says.
“The care of patients is a priority. Delivering high quality imaging to Service personnel and civilians for clinical diagnosis is a way of contributing to the Army Medical Services.”
Sachin and his “best friend and lovely wife” Sucheta have twins Rohan and Samya, seven. “In my opinion without family support serving for the Queen and The Country is not easy.”
...............................................................................................................
“It’s all happening for real. Rockets were landing left right and centre. It was the first time in my life that I thought I could be killed or dead.”
