Photo By kevin walston | #US4A senior leadership and representative of GIRoA gathered to celebrate the official...... read more read more
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BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Tenth Mountain Division officials entered into a new partnership with the Government of Afghanistan, Nov. 2, when they relieved the 3rd Infantry Division of responsibilities related to providing liaison duties to the Bagram Education Hospital.
The hospital, located on the west side of this sprawling installation north of the capital, will provide medical and educational training for the Ministry of Defense’s Medical Command (MEDCOM) that’s not currently available in this part of the country, said Lt. Col. Charles Strickler, U.S. Forces Afghanistan civil affairs officer.
“This facility will provide state-of-the-art medical training to the Afghan National Army’s doctors, nurses and provide care to local citizens who currently don’t have access to that care,” Strickler said. “When it’s fully operational, we expect that it’ll provide requisite medical training for hundreds of physicians and inpatient and outpatient services to thousands of people annually.”
This event marked a transition of the partnership between the 3rd Infantry Division and the Afghan National Army’s (ANA’s) MEDCOM, with the 10th Mountain Division now assuming responsibilities for all liaison responsibilities. Since the hospital still rests on Bagram Airfield, the 10th Mountain Division in its role as the U.S. National Support Element-Afghanistan assumed responsibilities for providing infrastructure support and force protection, Strickler said.
“Additional T-walls have been erected and some guard towers were moved to provide better visibility of patient transfers,” he explained. “A 300 meter-deep well adjacent to the facility was built to meet the hospital’s fresh water needs, and we’ll provide electrical power and sewage treatment until late 2016.”
The facility was built by the Korean International Cooperation Agency and initially opened to the public in April 2010, Strickler said, providing services to more than 150,000 local residents. When Operation Enduring Freedom ended in 2014, the Korean government decided to transition ownership of the facility to the Afghan government.
“The Korean government bilaterally transferred the building, equipment and pharmaceuticals directly to MEDCOM,” he said. “MEDCOM in coordination with the Parwan provincial government agreed to provide a residual amount of services to the local community and additional land outside the existing perimeter wall so that a new entrance could be established.”
When all renovations are completed, the 50-bed hospital will focus on training Afghan physicians, nurses and medical technicians. In addition, it’ll provide emergency services and trauma care and will also see patients suffering from catastrophic injuries, Strickler said.
“There will be two operating rooms, a CT scanner, x-ray laboratories, physical therapy offices and other specialties,” he explained. “This was a celebration of our enduring commitment…the U.S. military is a willing supporter in helping Afghanistan continue to improve its capabilities.”
In order to ensure the turnover of the facility was a success, Afghan medical professionals underwent extensive training with their South Korean counterparts to ensure the transition was successful, said Master Sgt. Jose Rosales, USFOR-A civil affairs noncommissioned-officer-in-charge.
“Their training not only consisted of how to maintain the hospital, but also on the various types of medical equipment provided to them by the South Koreans,” Rosales said. “The expertise passed to them will ensure that they’ll not only be successful in the future, but will be able to continue providing topnotch training and medical care to patients from the local community.”
Since the hospital currently resides within the perimeter walls of Bagram Airfield, Rosales said work is currently in progress to change the existing installation perimeter so that the hospital is accessible by off- base residents.
“Our engineers are working with local officials to change the current infrastructure… residents can access the facility without having to request entry onto BAF,” he said. “When the work’s completed, Parwan residents will have access to a state-of-the-art medical facility.”
Col. (Dr.) George Coppit, USFOR-A command surgeon, said the hospital will definitely help the local population meet its medical needs.
“The full capabilities of the hospital are still evolving,” he said. “Craig Joint Theater Hospital will provide assistance in cases of medical emergencies involving life, limb or eyesight….but the overarching plan is for the hospital to be free-standing and another step to independence and self-reliance for the Afghan people.”
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.06.2015 05:48 |
| Story ID: | 181130 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 243 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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