FORWARD OPERATING BASE GARDEZ, Afghanistan — Members of the Paktya Provincial Reconstruction Team visited and toured the Gardez Provincial Civil Hospital during a trip to Gardez City in Paktya province Afghanistan, Sept. 5.
The primary purpose of the visit was to assess the hospitals facilities so that the PRT can accurately estimate what equipment the hospital will need and where in the facility the equipment will be placed.
Members of the PRT wanted to observe the hospital's operations so that they could verify what the doctors and the staff require to help the hospital better meet the community's needs.
One observation the PRT made was that the hospital is being fully utilized, said U.S. Air Force Maj. Anita F. Chapel, the PRT's medical officer and a nurse practitioner.
Outside the hospital, dozens of people were gathered and waiting to be seen by doctors for various reasons.
"I felt really good about the visit because I certainly know that the hospital is needed and is being utilized," Chapel added.
"It was good to see the therapists working, the dentists working, and the doctors seeing patients," said Chapel.
The PRT was able to gather a great deal of information, according to Chapel. They were able to see that the staff and the hospital do need help, but the PRT is still able to see their previous work in action at the hospital.
The hospital building was built by the Afghans long ago, however the PRT has done some renovations since then, and they have also built a new emergency room building in the hospitals compound.
The second stop on the PRT's trip was to the Gardez Midwife Training Center, down the street from the hospital.
The PRT wanted to see how the center was operating and make accurate assessments on any equipment the center may need, said Chapel.
Seeing the hospital operating is a very meaningful thing to the members of the PRT, because it is their whole intention to get the Afghan's functioning, and according to Chapel, they were functioning well during the visit.