Blood Analyzers bring faster treatment in Maysan

Photo By 2nd Lt. Andrew Mayer | Capt. Sung Hong, of Stanton, Calif., civil affairs officer, Civil Liaison Team, meets with doctors from the Al Sader Hospital to check on a blood analyzer provided to the Ministry of Health for hospitals throughout the Maysan province.  

MAYSAN PROVINCE, IRAQ

08.01.2010

Courtesy Story

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

Story by: Staff Sgt. Lester Yancey

MAYSAN PROVINCE, Iraq – The Maysan Provincial Reconstruction Team with support from Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, recently provided the Ministry of Health with six Beckman Coulter Auto Blood Analyzers.

Beckman Coulter develops, manufactures, and markets many products designed to simplify complex biomedical testing. The company’s diagnostic systems are found in hospitals and other critical care facilities around the world.

Physicians use information generated by the analyzers to diagnose diseases and make life-saving treatment decisions.

“By installing this equipment, other hospitals in and around Al Amarah will follow the province’s positive example,” said 2nd Lt. Timothy Lewin, of Pueblo, Colo., field artillery officer, 3rd Bn., 29th

These new analyzers will enable Maysan hospitals to perform a multiple array of tests on blood samples in a fraction of the time it previously took to complete. These analyzers allow doctors to run more specific tests and receive much more accurate data results, said Dr. Majeed, physician at the Al Sadar hospital.

“These analyzers will likely have a large impact on the resources and quality of care Maysan hospitals are now able to offer their patients,” said Majeed. “Without these analyzers, hospitals in Maysan, that already suffer from understaffing and lack qualified medical professionals, would continue to waste manpower and resources testing individual samples, only to receive minimal results.”

Instead of conducting one test at a time, such as testing for a potassium reading, the analyzer has the capability to test for sodium, potassium, chloride and glucose readings all at once, allowing doctors to diagnoses patients much faster.

“The installation of this equipment will allow the staff to maximize their effectiveness,” said Capt. Sung Hong, of Stanton, Calif., civil affairs officer, Civil Liaison Team who works with the Maysan PRT.

Members of Battery A regularly escort PRT members like Hong to the Al Sadar and Al Zahrawi hospitals to check on the progress of the analyzers.

“The analyzer systems are extremely important when it comes to improving the current health care systems in Maysan,” said Majeed.

• Date Taken: 08.01.2010
• Date Posted: 08.01.2010 06:24
• Story ID: 53775
• Location: MAYSAN PROVINCE, IQ