42nd HHBN Medics Supporting Health of the Troops

Photo By Sgt. Andrew Winchell | Soldiers from the 42nd Infantry Division work at the battalion aid station in support of Task Force Spartan October 6, 2020 in Kuwait. The aid station was set up to give Soldiers a place to be seen quickly for any medical concerns, rather than walking over a mile to the hospital. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Andrew Winchell)  

KUWAIT

10.17.2020

Courtesy Story

Task Force Spartan

Story by Sgt. Andrew Winchell, Task Force Spartan Public Affairs

ARIFJAN, Kuwait: Medical readiness is an essential factor in ensuring the U.S. Army can deter aggression and defend freedom.

Doing their part to maintain readiness, 42nd Infantry Division medics did their part and set up an aid station close to where many Soldiers work.

“When we first got here, we looked for a building, but with no luck, so we found a conex building which turned out to be better,” said Sgt. 1st Class Maurice Cousineau the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion medical noncommissioned officer in charge. “Using assets on base, we were able to get supplies, storage lockers and set the aid station up to be able to see Soldiers.”

Having an aid station like this helps alleviate the number of Soldiers the main hospital sees and cares for.

“We set this station up to be able to see one Soldier at a time, to mitigate exposure in a COVID environment,” said Cousineau. “This also helped to cut down on the number of Soldiers going to the hospital with systems that were similar to COVID but were not.”

COVID-19 has caused hospitals everywhere to see a rise in patients and with the use of the aid station, the 42nd was able to help cut down on that number of Soldiers going to the hospital on post. The aid station as also helped to mitigate the risk from COVID, keeping Soldiers safer.

“We built this aid station to deal with the risks of operating in a COVID environment, allowing only one Soldier in at a time,” said Cousineau. “Soldiers would make an appointment through email, helping to prevent lines like at the hospital. The smaller space also helped us to keep a clean and sterile area for Soldiers to be seen.”

Hospitals do their best to keep people safe and healthy, but with so much unknown about COVID-19, it was hard to handle the number of people they came in.

“The hospital would have 50-60 Soldiers to see at sick call and that was out of the control of the hospital,” said Cousineau.

With the aid station in place, Soldiers were able to be seen quickly and with little impact on their duty day. With most Soldiers living in zone 6 and the hospital being in Zone 1, which is over a mile walk one way, the aid station made it easier for Soldiers.

“It just made sense to have something close for Soldiers, so they didn’t have to travel to get medical aid or have to wait in a line,” said Cousineau. ”The aid station is open from 8-11 and 1300-1600, and we have seen over 300 Soldiers.”

The most significant benefit to having a smaller aid station is its ability to provide the quality and timely medical care Soldiers deserve, especially with the threat of COVID-19.

Cousineau said the most significant benefit to having a smaller aid station is its ability to provide the quality and timely medical care Soldiers deserve, especially with the threat of COVID-19.

“We had a great staff and great doctors to make sure that Soldiers were healthy and ready to conduct their missions,” said Cousineau. “Our set up allowed us to check Soldiers outside the conex for COVID while keeping the area inside clear of any infection.”

• Date Taken: 10.17.2020
• Date Posted: 10.17.2020 02:44
• Story ID: 381150
• Location: KW