Photo By Tech. Sgt. Brittany Chase | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Victoria Campbell, 154th Medical Group medic, treats a...... read more read more
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Patient care is crucial in a country with minimal accessibility to hospitals due to the lengthy commutes and no means to travel to these locations. Pacific Angel (PACANGEL) 16-3 had two health services operating sites to provide local nationals in remote areas the opportunity to receive medical care.
Although the main reason of PACANGEL was to provide medical care, the professionals who volunteered their time to make an impact also received an opportunity they could have never imagined.
“Out here in the rural areas of Sri Lanka, people don't have the time and the means to go to a hospital to receive medical care,” said Lt. Muhammad Fahil, Maldives National Defense Force doctor. “This generally causes patients to omit going to a hospital, where as when we have a health care camp here patients can come without any cost to them, they can come here and get their minor elements checked out and treated.”
Providing medical care during PACANGEL to the people of Sri Lanka in need was a priority for Fahil.
“As medical doctors, the main service is to help people and [those] in need are the ones who can't afford,” said Fahil. “So in rural areas like this, I get satisfaction that you actually achieve something and can help to make peoples lives better.”
PACANGEL provided medical care in four main areas: general health, optometry, dental and physical therapy.
“The people of Sri Lanka need the medical care and we have the means to help them,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Victoria Campbell, 154th Medical Group medic. “It’s great we’re doing this and seeing the look on their faces when they get a new pair of glasses — they’re radiant and over joyed. It may not seem like a lot to us but to them it’s a huge deal.”
Fahil described this opportunity as a great experience because there are five different nations working together, enabling him to see how every countryman attends to a patient and how they carry out their care, ultimately broadening their viewpoints.
“This is a huge thing for us and the people,” said Fahil. “Usually we are at home in the hospital treating our countryman, but coming out here and treating people who [are] in much more need of that, is an overwhelming satisfaction. It’s hard days. It’s long days, but when you go back [home] there is the gratification of knowing you achieved something amazing.”
After everything is said and done, Campbell stated she jumped at the opportunity to help in any way she could.
“Words cant really describe the feeling of being able to help them,” said Campbell. “I jumped at the opportunity to be able to participate in this PACANGEL. It’s just heartfelt fulfillment and I’m joyed to serve my own country, but to take it beyond our borders to help other people is just fantastic.”
| Date Taken: | 08.17.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2016 19:50 |
| Story ID: | 208360 |
| Location: | JAFFNA, LK |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, PACANGEL HSO impacts more than just the patients, by TSgt Brittany Chase, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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