What Happen with Our Pilots Nowadays?

Written by:

Indria Sari, MD, MPH

Captain/ 533181

Head of Emergency Unit Soemitro Hospital Surabaya Air Force Base

0819 3719 4997

      Temporary grounded. For the military pilots, it is (probably) a dead sentence, including for the pilots in Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI). Once it is stated by Indonesian Institute of Aerospace Medicine (Lakespra Saryanto), the pilot is banned for flying for a period of time. Overweight is the main cause, as pronounced by Indonesian Air Force (IAF) Chief of Health Service, Marsma TNI dr.M.F.Mulyono, SpTHT (KL) in Health Service Technical Meeting of IAF. Beside overweight, high cholesterol and/or triglyceride also become the main concern, he explained further in front of over than 100 medical corps officers. Yes, it is our pilots who face overweight, high cholesterol, high triglyceride, etc!

The meeting that held on January 12-13^th, 2011 in Lakespra Saryanto Jakarta was opened by IAF Assistance, Marsda TNI Rodi Suprosodjo. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of being professional military personnel in a line of achieving “The First Class Air Force”. It is not possible to fulfill this aim, unless we deliver “The First Class Health Service”.

Military pilots are expected to be fit in order to perform their duty well. Failure in keeping their healthiness may lead to incapacitation which in the end put the pilot (and of course the aircraft) in a risk. Flight surgeon as the health worker at the front line in air squadron must be able to see this finding as a serious problem. Let say, overweight problem will not appear in one or two months. Neither will high cholesterol and hypertension. It starts happening years before. Obviously, it is preventable.

Pilots, crew and flight surgeon are a team. A good communication in a team is a key to solve any trouble, including health problem. Pilots should maintain their health and flight surgeon should remain the necessity of staying healthy, not limited to the pilots only, but also for all crew in air squadron. We should bear in mind that healthy life style keeps us away from many diseases. Proper diet (nutrition), regular exercise, no smoking, no alcohol is not a slogan only. We should put it into practice.  Prevention is better than cure. It sounds like an old song. But it is true. Isn’t it?

NOTE:

Indonesian Institute of Aerospace Medicine = Lakespra Saryant, Jakarta

Indonesian Air Force Chief of Health Service = Kadiskesau

Health Service Technical Meeting of Indonesian Air Force = Rakorniskesau

(Rapat Koordinasi Teknis Kesehatan TNI AU)