CAMP Bastion is home to the world's leading war zone hospital.

With facilities better than most UK hospitals, the 200 doctors, nurses, surgeons and staff constantly have to put their feelings to one side to treat patients.

Not only are they dealing with life threatening injuries to UK soldiers, they also treat Taliban members who have been hurt during battle.

And they will not turn away Afghan nationals in need of medical attention when they arrive at the gates of Bastion.

Major Glenn Sutton, from Walton-le-Dale near Preston, a medical administrator, said: “A patient is a patient.”

The hospital, known as Role Three UK Bastion, has three operating theatres, 10 intensive care beds, 35 medium care wards plus pathology and microbiology labs.

Bastion Commander Colonel Mark Dunn, said: “It is the leading combat hospital in the world.”

The most seriously wounded patients are flown to the hospital within 90 minutes wherever they are in Helmand province.

Once stable they are then flown back to the UK for treatment at the recently expanded Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.

Less seriously injured patients are taken to the hospital within 24 hours.

Major Scott Marshall, officer in charge of the Intensive Care Unit, said: “We deal with the effects of IEDs which can result in a loss of limbs.”

* Click on the link below for more stories by Nafeesa Shan in Afghanistan.