Navy ETT mentors ANA clinic staff

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN

06.28.2008

Story by Staff Sgt. Beth Del Vecchio 

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan

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By Staff Sgt. Beth Del Vecchio
Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan Public Affairs Office

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – With some small changes to organization and some forward thinking, a Navy Embedded Training Team and an Afghan national army clinic staff, serving the ANA 205th Corps, 1st Brigade, have improved operations and can provide better care for patients.

Nearly a year and a half ago, 10 metal containers were welded together to form the original medical clinic at Forward Operation Base Lindsey, where the ANA medical staff of nine treated 60-80 soldiers a day. With help from a Navy ETT, the ANA staff started a reorganization project last month. Today the Afghan staff treats the daily influx of soldiers more efficiently.

Lt. Cmdr. Jerry Haywald, senior medical mentor, said on his first visit to the clinic, he had to compete with close to 50 patients inside a waiting area, half the size of a typical waiting area.

"The head doctor's office was in chaos," Haywald said. "Daily, his desk was being swarmed by patients due to a small, insufficient waiting area."

Haywald, Lt. j.g. Brettson Platte and Air Force Master Sgt. Cynthia Williams, all ETT members, sat down with the ANA staff and discussed alternative layouts for the clinic. They agreed on changes to help increase access to care by improving the patient registration process, the waiting area and patient evaluation space.

The changes included building an awning outside for shade and adding benches underneath to serve as a waiting area. The pharmacy was moved to an area previously used for sleeping, converting the vacated space into a second patient evaluation room. Two walls were added to the treatment areas to give patients more privacy.

"The ANA staff redesigned the registration area by adding new filing cabinets and installed a registration computer work station to record patients' statistics," Haywald said.

Recently, the ANA has started using patient medical records for tracking patients' visits, injuries and medical history.

"We have advised the providers (Afghan clinic staff) that proper documentation is important and will help them with future diagnoses," Haywald said. "They were reluctant at first, however, they are beginning to see the benefits."

The service members mentored the staff on how to use a new computer tracking program and are training the ANA pharmacy personnel on a computerized program used to order supplies.

"This system has resulted in better accountability, legible documentation and quicker actions regarding supply requests." Haywald said.

Abdul Rahman, head physician for the clinic, said the renovations and training have helped him run the clinic smoothly and provide better, more efficient care to his patients.

"We can see more people and give better care," Rahman said. "Our mentors have helped us become more efficient. We are using what they have shown us to train our people better."

Along with the renovations to the clinic, the U.S. mentors are training the ANA staff on the benefits of lifestyle changes as an alternative to medication.

"Daily we tell the providers and soldiers that drinking water, eating clean fruit and proper meals is what they need instead of medication. Unfortunately, some of the ANA soldiers believe that when they come to the clinic they must leave with medication; if not, the clinic staff must not care about them," Haywald said. "This has been a tough change for them; however, we are slowly convincing them through education."

The mentor team has high hopes for the future of the garrison medical clinic. Haywald said the improvements are helping them toward the goal of a completely Afghan-led clinic in which the ANA work and operate on their own.

"They still have a lot of work to do, but the improvements are substantial," Haywald said. "The clinic looks better and is operating smoother than when I first arrived. The clinic is progressing daily."