Story and Photos by Sgt. Chris Florence
4th Public Affairs Detachment
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – A boy in southern Afghanistan is the beneficiary of a program at Kandahar Regional Military Hospital that brought together Afghan and American surgeons. The boy, Qaher, fell from a tractor while working on a farm a year ago. He was uncontrollably emptying his bladder through a hole as a result of the injuries sustained from the accident. In April, after nearly a year, Qaher finally got his chance at having a normal life again.
"The tractor actually rolled over him," said Cmdr. Rob Briggs, commanding officer, Task Force Kandahar Health Services Unit. "As a result of that, an opening developed between the skin and the bladder. The bladder was emptying through a hole causing him a great deal of discomfort and embarrassment. The procedure will basically try to close that opening and reroute the bladder to the appropriate anatomic position."
Qaher was fortunate. His case required specialty care beyond the capabilities of the local civilian hospital, so the ANA and KRMH partnered to help him. He was able to have the surgery at KRMH, and it cost his family nothing but time and travel.
"The [financial] costs were completely absorbed by KRMH and the Afghan national army," said Maj. Mike Kaiser, deputy commanding officer for Canadian Health Services Unit, Task Force Kandahar. "It's free, and it promotes the government of Afghanistan. We approached the American mentors at the hospital, and they agreed to take a look at the boy and evaluate his condition."
It is not uncommon for Afghan families to bring injured family members to forward operating bases seeking medical care on a daily basis.
"The boy was brought to a FOB in Jelawur by his parents," said Briggs. "The medical staff in Jelawur requested that my staff help them, and through that contact, my deputy commanding officer did a lot of coordination with the Afghan national air corps and KRMH to arrange the transportation and treatment and follow-up for this young boy.
As important as this procedure is for Qaher, its importance to the population in southern Afghanistan may be even greater.
"It's important for the Afghan local nationals to see that the ANA, as an extension of the Afghan government, can look after the local population," said Briggs.
Two Afghan general surgeons and two surgeons from Role 3, a medical facility on Kandahar Air Field, worked together to help Qaher. The surgery was performed by two KRMH general surgeons while a Canadian and a U.S. general surgeon were brought in from Role 3 on KAF to provide some mentorship and advice, according to Briggs.
"Qaher and the Afghan people can expect the best care Afghanistan has to offer at KRMH," said Briggs. "The facility is certainly state-of-the-art by Afghan standards. They do very well with respect to trauma. They've been altering their standards based on the American ETT (Embedded Training Team). It's the premier medical center in all of Afghanistan."
The KRMH ETT consists of U.S. Air Force doctors from Role 3 who mentor the Afghan doctors on a weekly basis and offer their expertise.
The day following the surgery, Qaher was able to move around a bit and was able to walk.
"After 48 hours he can walk, but he will have a catheter inserted into his urethra for 21 days," said Dr. Mujeeb Kawir, an Afghan general surgeon at KRMH.
Nutrition will play an important role in Qaher's recovery time.
"One of the most important things that we come across in this environment is nutrition. You don't heal well if you don't have the proper nutrition," said Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Antonacci, medical director of the Embedded Training Team.
Under the care and expertise of the multinational surgical team, Qaher's expected recovery time will be about a month if the surgery was successful.
Kawir, who trained at a university in Kabul, said that after removing the catheter Qaher may experience some complications, but did not specify if it will be permanent.
The one thing that these doctors and the forces they represent hope will be permanent is the understanding that the Afghan national security forces and its coalition partners are here to help.
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2010 08:15 |
| Story ID: | 48509 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR, AF |
| Web Views: | 575 |
| Downloads: | 254 |
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