Tradies operate on doctor's wrist in Antarctica

Tradies at Australia's Antarctic base have proven to be very handy people to have around, especially if you’re the only doctor there and you need surgery.

Dr Cathryn O'Sullivan (pictured) was wintering on the base when she broke her hand in an accident more than 3400km from specialist care in Hobart, Tasmania.

Tradespeople on the base, working under the supervision of Tasmanian doctors, had to operate on the fractured hand, according to a report on ABC News.

She couldn't be flown off the base because of the winter weather and — having injured her dominant right hand — self-operating was also out, ABC News says.

Under the guidance of an anaesthetist and hand surgeon, the tradespeople stepped up and undertook "quite a specialist medical procedure", Dr O’Sullivan says.

It was in 2015, and the case has been highlighted to show the expertise other remote