MEDCAP Makes Medicine Mobile

KARBALA, IRAQ

07.06.2004

Courtesy Story

1-230th Cavalry Regiment

Story by: Staff Sgt. Tony Sailer

KARBALA, Iraq -- Medical Soldiers from Task Force 1-37 Armor, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division, together with medical professionals from the Thailand Task Force conducted a medical treatment program for more than 100 Iraqi Police Service Officers and Iraqi Civil Defense Corps soldiers during a joint Medical Civil Action Program.

"A MEDCAP is typically run under the banner of a humanitarian mission and the primary goal is to offer free healthcare to the local nationals," Dr. (Capt.) Jim Hardigan, the Task Force Battalion Surgeon said. "Usually it is in an effort to augment the local healthcare system simply because the local healthcare system does not have the personnel, equipment or supplies to provide certain care," Hardigan continued.

The MEDCAP started off slowly, with only a handful of patients showing up, but steadily grew once the leaders got the word out.

"We had a few local sheiks show up and get treated," Hardigan said, "After they were through, I think they went back to their communities and said 'these guys are doing O.K., go there, take your kids,' so I think that is what increased our numbers."

The medical teams were prepared to deal with a wide variety of health concerns. "Most of the conditions we have seen are typical sick call stuff," Hardigan said. "Some had respiratory complaints like coughs and colds. We have seen a lot of G.I. complaints; stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. We have also seen a lot of skin complaints like basic rashes."

Hardigan said there are limits to the care they can give. "Scattered in there however, we have had some more serious problems, things we simply cannot address. For example, we had a patient show up with a CAT scan revealing what appeared to be a cystic mass on his right kidney. There is not much we can truly do," Hardigan said. This man, like so many Iraqis, faces a difficult challenge when in search of health care.

"From my experience," Hardigan said, "that situation has been pretty typical; where you will receive partial treatment. Local Iraqi doctors will take a look at you, many times will do lab work, x-rays, cat scans, whatever they need, make a diagnosis and then say "ok you will need this treatment and it will cost this much. That is usually where things will stop."

One major hurdle for the Iraqi healthcare system is the lack of medication and supplies, Hardigan said. "[Patient's] primary complaint was [doctors] simply did not have enough vaccinations or medications to follow through with the treatment. They would write out [a prescription] on a piece of paper and give it to the patient, but then they were on their own."

The MEDCAP team had their own challenges in the gathering of supplies. The Thai team brought pediatric medicine but supplies were limited. "As a field aid station we are not supplied to do MEDCAPs," Hardigan said. "But we were able to scrape together enough supplies and were helped by the Thais. Our own supply sergeant also worked hard to get us extra supplies."

Hardigan admitted despite the challenges the mission was successful. "For the vast majority of patients we saw we were able to help," Hardigan said. "I love treating Soldiers, but it was kind of nice to go out and start helping a different segment of the population."

• Date Taken: 07.06.2004
• Date Posted: 07.06.2004 09:27
• Story ID: 62
• Location: KARBALA, IQ