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    KRMH continues success after ISAF transition

    FORWARD OPERATING BASE LINDSEY, AFGHANISTAN

    10.05.2013

    Story by Cpl. Mariah Best 

    70th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

    KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Since its opening 12 years ago, Kandahar Regional Medical Hospital has developed from a modest wooden barracks to a widely recognized, modern medical facility in southern Afghanistan.

    In the last year, KRMH has doubled its bed capacity from 50 to 100, allowing additional patients to come in and be treated by what is now a 100 percent Afghan-led hospital.

    A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Sept. 25 to signify the transfer of authority at KRMH from the International Security Assistance Force to the Afghan National Army Medical Command.

    Shortly thereafter, staff demonstrated their medical progress during a cholera outbreak in Karzi, a village in the Shorabak district of Kandahar province.

    Within three days of the outbreak, which infected close to 300 people, including members of the Afghan National Police in the village, seven KRMH staff members traveled to Karzi and successfully treated and stabilized all affected patients.

    Along with treatment, the KRMH staff educated the villagers about how cholera is contracted, and how to prevent outbreaks like this from happening again.

    This success is just one of the accomplishments the hospital has achieved since the transition.

    “We have been able to improve inspection scores with everyone’s hard work, both the staff and the advisors,” said Brig. Gen. Seyed Azim Hussaini, the commander of KRMH and the 205th /215th Medical Command.

    The ISAF advisors inspect the hospital in 26 main areas, where the staff must show a proficiency of 95 percent or better in each area.

    Hussaini’s advisor, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Rene Boissiere, lead advisor of the medical training advisory group, Regional Command (South), talked about the process the KRMH staff has gone through in the past year.

    Boissiere said as soon as he arrived at KRMH, he and Hussaini sat down and discussed what needed immediate improvement in the hospital.

    “They have done great,” Boissiere said about the work the KRMH staff has accomplished since his time there. “Inspection scores are almost up to 99 percent overall, which is very good.”

    Hussaini said he is always looking to improve the hospital and his patient care. Currently, the hospital is installing a network that will allow them to access information more easily and share documents from one department to another.

    “We have had a lot of generals come visit the hospital and they always give us praise and congratulate us,” Hussaini said. “The Afghanistan Minister of Defense came and said he was very pleased and gave us a certificate.”

    All the advances have significantly improved KRMH’s capabilities.

    Two years ago, patients who required serious surgery had to be transferred to a hospital in Kabul because KRMH lacked the proper staff and equipment to perform the surgeries, Hussaini said.

    Today, very few patients are transferred because the surgeries are now done at KRMH.

    Boissiere said Hussaini works very hard to improve security both in and around the hospital, which was identified as an area that needed improvement when they initially spoke.

    “(The hospital) faces a lot of (security) threats because of location,” said Boisseiere.

    Hussaini emplaced loitering regulations, “in the hospital and outside on the court yard; that was a big problem,” Boissiere said.

    Check points have been established outside the gate and those entering the hospital are required to show identification- two deterrents for people who have no business there.

    These safety precautions are not to be confused with who can be seen at the hospital. All are welcome to be seen; Taliban and coalition forces included Hussaini said.

    “Everyone is equal here, everyone is the same,” Hussaini said.

    Hussaini elaborated on how much medical treatment can help the people of Afghanistan.

    “I believe if you treat everyone the right way, you can win their hearts and minds,” Hussaini said. “One time, we had a Taliban member here and he said he was going to transfer sides. He said, ‘I don’t want to go back to the Taliban, I want to work here.’”

    Hussaini tries to instill his philosophy about winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people in all of the 178 KRMH staff members, including the 20 nursing students who are currently studying at the hospital.

    One ANA officer and three non-commissioned officers are in charge of training those students over a two year period to be medical nurses and ANA second lieutenants. Fifty students have already graduated from the two year program and moved on to leadership positions as second lieutenant medical nurses.

    Good leadership is something Hussaini recognized is desperately needed as budgets get tighter and advisors check in less frequently.

    Hussaini tells his staff to “do all work given to them honestly” so they can become good leaders.

    Hussaini’s hard work to make sure everyone is treated fairly, and to ensure his staff sustains their honesty, is how he maintains a friendly and peaceful relationship with his advisors and the community.

    “I have been a commander for ten years, first in Herat and now in Kandahar, and we have learned a lot from each other. My advisors always stay in my memory,” Hussaini said. “In ten years I have seen good achievements, but any life that I save, any patient care I can give to anyone is a big thing for me.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 10.05.2013
    Date Posted: 10.19.2013 06:47
    Story ID: 115420
    Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE LINDSEY, AF

    Web Views: 519
    Downloads: 0

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