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MEDRETE and the flood

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Phillip Butterfield | SAN PABLO, Guatemala – A severe storm lasting approximately 2 hours producing more...... read more read more

GUATEMALA

05.17.2016

Story by Tech. Sgt. Phillip Butterfield

4th Fighter Wing

More than, 700 Guatemalan residents became patients at Task Force Red Wolf’s medical readiness exercise May, 17 2016, during Exercise BEYOND THE HORIZON 2016 Guatemala.

After arriving at the MEDRETE the residents began their transformation from locals requiring medical services to patients receiving these services. This transformation started when they received a questionnaire that asked the basic information i.e. what is your name and where does it hurt.

When the questionnaire was completed the patients followed the carefully laid out course that led them to their first stop, which was prevention. In the prevention tent, patients received instruction on how to not become sick and how proper hygiene affects a person’s overall health. They also received toothbrushes and other items to get them started on the road to long lasting health.

From the prevention tent the patients rounded the corner of the double roomed tent and found themselves in triage.

“Triage is where I like to say ‘The rubber meets the road’,” said U.S. Army Maj. Cynthia Sexton, 396th Combat Support Hospital nurse. “Our teams of nurses, medical technicians and translators make quick work of determining what is wrong with our patients. This allows them [the patients] to get to the section that will best treat their ailment so, they can get back to doing what they do.”

Moreover, when the need arose the members of the triage tent would provide comfort until the patient could meet with their provider. This need was never more evident than when a baby arrived with a 104.9 degree Fahrenheit temperature. The nurses and technicians didn’t wait for doctor to become free before rendering aid by placing the infant into a cool bath to start bring her temperature down.

“It’s really wonderful to treat as many of these people as we can,” U.S. Army Maj. Tim Dicarlo, 396th CSH internal medicine doctor. The patients can tell that we are trying our best and they are very thankful for it.”

From the triage tent, patients will go to any number of other sections to include optometry, dental, general medicine and gynecology to get their ailments tended to.

However, a nice day with happy providers and patients came to a thunderous soaking wet halt when a severe thunder blew in dumping 0.8 inches of water creating flash floods that turned the day into a time of concern.

“We predicted the potential for a strong storm forming approximately 24 hours before this event,” said Maj. Sean Gibbons, TFRW staff weather officer. “As time progressed, we started seeing this system, which at one time had a Sirius Shield of 100 miles across, the outflow of the storm started spawning smaller storms in the area. This was one of the most intense storms we have seen yet and when it comes to predicting weather in the tropics especially in an area that has the unique type of geographic formations that we do, I recommend that everyone keep your hats on because we haven’t seen anything yet.”

With a crack of thunder and a flash of light the rain began to fall. Lightly at first then in sheets and torrents; Soldiers and patients watched in dismay as the area they were standing in a few minutes before became engulfed in water.

“In the heat of the afternoon the storm came,” said Col. CH Kenneth Lawson, TFRW chaplain. “I saw rain flying sideways and water in the dental hold tent was above my boot, which I estimate to be at least ten inches. While the storm was ravaging the area, I felt thankful that everyone was safe and we had shelter from the storm.”

Everyone left the area unharmed but drenched and with a better understanding of what this countries weather can do.