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Story and Photo by Lt. j.g. Egdanis Torres Sierra
Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan (Feb. 10, 2017) — Medical leaders from the Afghan National Army and Resolute Support coalition held a medical logistic and leadership conference here last week.
The symposium emphasized the challenges and achievements of the Afghan Medical Command as well as future plans to improve their medical supply chain and logistics.
Maj. Gen. Abdul Razaq Siawash, ANA medical commander, spoke about the challenges they face with their overall medical supply system.
“Despite both shifts of coalition support and procurement issues, our medical command was able to keep the system running, providing the best care possible to ANA personnel and even attending to civilian war casualties,” Siawash said.
Thomas A. Lockhart, executive director of Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan's office of sustainment, known as EF-5, described their medical supply chain system as functioning, but emphasized they must be careful that existing and future challenges like corruption don't halt progress.
“We recognize this issue and are trying to ensure that you all have what you need for the future,” Lockhart said. “Nothing can get lost because of corruption.”
From the sustainment perspective, CSTC-A is concentrating efforts in three core tenants: supply accountability, transparency in the logistic chain, and the professionalism of staff. Moving forward, one critical aspect is to clearly understand demand in all regions, Lockhart explained.
One of the highlights of the conference was use of the inventory and reporting system known as the Core-Inventory Management System. This database, when fully employed, allows Resolute Support and Afghan medical staff to precisely track what medical resources are needed, when, and who needs them, so those assets can be delivered to the right places at the right times.
“We are putting in extensive efforts to ensure that the Afghans trust the supply chain of medicine and the inventory management systems which are vital to getting the soldiers the medical assets they need,” Lockhart said.
It was noted during the conference that Afghan forces need more equipment, like X-ray, CT-scan, and MRI machines. They also need more trained personnel to operate imaging technologies, as well as people qualified in biomedical and pharmaceutical management.
On a positive note, Siawash reported progress in the daily operations of the Military Medical School and Bagram Medical Education Hospital. He also reported the establishment of a trauma center at the Kabul National Medical Hospital and announced the presidential decree on the Military Academic Council which enables the Military Medical School to accredit diplomas to their graduates.
“This is your success story. You have managed to minimize our influence and maximize an independent system of medical quality care and training,” said Brig. Gen. Stefane Kowitz, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe medical advisor. "We are proud of your success in developing a high level medical system so important for force protection and for saving lives.”
In his final remarks, Siawash expressed pride and confidence in their progress as they invest in the future of Afghanistan.
“Afghans are talented people. We are not any different from other people in the world. Our medical teams save lives every day. We have faced poverty, struggles of war and many challenges, but no matter the difficulties, we are overcoming these issues and we will achieve prosperity,” Siawash concluded.
| Date Taken: | 02.10.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.18.2017 03:03 |
| Story ID: | 223963 |
| Location: | AF |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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