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The bus, the purse, and the limb
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     As I was leaving the BMA flat where I had spent Wednesday night, I heard a loud "whoomping" sound. I thought it may have been a crash, but the sound was very loud—a big sound that resonated. As I reached the foyer of the flats, I looked down the road towards BMA House. I saw the bus about 20 metres away.

    As I ran over I could see scattered glass and metal fragments. As I got closer still, I could see pieces of material and people's possessions strewn around. I saw a woman's purse. Then I ran past a dismembered limb on the ground and noticed other parts of human bodies. Three of my most vivid images of the day were the bus, the purse, and the limb. Each seems to say something of the tragedy and pain of the day.

    At the scene, doctors were tending to people on the ground. Firstly, I helped move a person who seemed trapped under a car. We had to stabilise a badly broken ankle before it was possible to move them into the BMA's courtyard. Then I helped a man with multiple fractures to limbs, one extremely serious fracture to his lower leg. A younger doctor and I put lines into opposite sides. I remember thinking that this man was likely to lose his leg, so great was the injury to it.

    I don't remember much screaming. Just those giving care shouting for the things they needed. The police and paramedics were great. It seemed that whenever I asked for something—scissors, tape, fluids, boards to splint fractures—it appeared within a few seconds, brought to me by those supporting us as we provided the direct care.

    The BMA's staff were fantastic. They took tables apart so we could have something to move patients on. They pulled the injured from the bus, carried them inside once we had stabilised them, and kept finding things that we needed to provide immediate care to the injured people. Looking back now, I become emotional with pride to remember what the BMA as a whole, doctors and staff alike, were able to do.

    Once the patients I had been helping were stabilised and had sufficient medical cover, I began to help with distributing supplies, such as intravenous fluids and oxygen. We nearly ran short a few times, but as soon as I thought we were going to run out of something, another ambulance turned up with further supplies.

    Once we had got the severely injured on to ambulances and to hospitals, the walking wounded began to arrive at BMA House to be seen before being transported to hospital.

    After the injured had left BMA House, we began to care for the carers. We raided the BMA's kitchens for sandwiches, rolls, chocolates, fruit, crisps, and drinks, which we distributed to everyone. I think it took us about 2-3 hours to move, treat, and get all the seriously wounded people to hospital.(Andrew Dearden)