The Christian daily Nederlands Dagblad reports that doctors are queuing up to work in military hospitals in Afghanistan. Surgeons apparently regard the injuries sustained by troops and civilians as a professional challenge.

Since 1998 the Defence Ministry has been working together with 12 Dutch hospitals in a reservist system. The IDR (Institute for Cooperation between Defence and Associated Hospitals) was set up to ensure sufficient medical personnel for the armed forces following the abolition of conscription in the Netherlands.
 

Surgical teams consisting of surgeons, theatre assistants and nurses are posted abroad for two months. In Afghanistan they work in the military hospital at Camp Holland or in the international hospital at Kandahar Air Base.
 

The fact that staff may be sent abroad is specifically mentioned in the hospitals' recruitment ads and regarded as an incentive. Only doctors working at one of the 12 hospitals can be part of a military mission. The hospitals receive funding from the Defence Ministry for employing extra staff on a reservist basis. At present there are a total of 350 specialists and support staff in the scheme.
 

Medical teams have so far seen action in the Balkans, Liberia, Iraq, Congo and Afghanistan.
 

The IDR system is quite unique in military circles and the Defence Ministry says it has received enquiries from countries including the United States, Australia, Germany and Belgium interested in adopting similar working methods.