In 1994, with war raging in his homeland, Khassan Baiev did the unthinkable. The Chechen surgeon closed his successful Moscow medical practice, and returned home to work on the frontlines of the conflict.
He operated without electricity, gas, or running water, as missiles crashed into the hospitals. In the worst moments of his five years under fire he was amputating dozens of limbs at a stretch, using a hack saw, and working without anesthetic.
Through it all, Baiev kept the oath he had made to treat all those who need help, from the Russian soldiers, to the Chechen rebels who fought them, and civilians being killed in the crossfire. Keeping this oath was an act of heroism that made him a marked man for both sides. Khassan Baiev’s first hand account of war.
Guests:
Dr. Khassan Baiev, author “The Oath: A Surgeon Under Fire”;
Nick Daniloff, co-author “The Oath” and former Moscow bureau chief for U.S. News & World Report;