CAMP PHOENIX, Afghanistan – Proper health of service members stationed throughout Kabul is vital to keeping U.S. and coalition forces mission ready in the Afghan capital. Soldiers from the Task Force Rushmore Brigade Surgeon Cell of the 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, South Dakota Army National Guard, are ensuring that health by providing guidance and support to troop medical clinics throughout the Kabul Base Cluster.
With nearly 9,000 U.S. and coalition forces stationed throughout the KBC, providing adequate medical support to 11 different bases is no easy operation. Coordination, planning and training are all key factors to comprehensive care.
According to Col. Jeffrey Anderson, 196th Brigade Surgeon, “the medical section’s main responsibility is to identify TMC capabilities, coordinate the right medical assets in the appropriate areas, plan for medical emergencies and train to react to those emergencies,” he said
“It’s a big job for the 196th to make sure certain medical services are provided to all personnel throughout the KBC,” added Anderson, of Hill City, S.D. “Some bases have more medical support than others, and it’s our responsibility to make sure the bases with less capabilities still get the support they need when they need it.”
“Just as Task Force Rushmore as a whole provides operational guidance and sustainment support for the KBC, the medical section strives to ensure optimal health among servicemembers by keeping providers, supplies and other medical assets distributed efficiently,” added Capt. Regan Norgaard, medical operations officer in charge.
Although coordination and guidance with the TMC's goes a long way to providing sufficient medical support, preventative care is still the best prescription for medical readiness.
This preventative care starts with the medical section obtaining data from the TMC's around the KBC and analyzing it. Everything from diseases to non-battle injuries are tracked, and according to Norgaard, it’s this analysis that helps them to follow trends and find sources of illnesses. Specific guidance and countermeasures can then be communicated to the various command groups within the KBC.
However, analysis alone cannot mitigate the impact of a real-life emergency. Analysis must guide appropriate training and battle drills.
Making sure the TMC's are ready and prepared to respond to any medical emergency or incident at anytime was a recent focus for the task force medical section. Although Kabul is relatively safe, camps throughout the city are still susceptible to attack. To be ready for these attacks, battle-drill training is necessary.
The Brigade Surgeon Cell, along with the 186th Brigade Support Battalion, Vermont Army National Guard, and Base Defense Operations Center personnel from the 1st Battalion, 178th Field Artillery, South Carolina Army National Guard, organized a mass casualty response exercise on Camp Phoenix in late July to evaluate medical personnel and first responders here.
The battle drill involved the whole base, but was directed toward the TMC and base defense personnel. Norgaard and other members of the section applied 'moulage' to medical training mannequins and real-life personnel – replicating injuries that might occur subsequent to an actual attack.
While medical and base defense personnel responded to the simulated attack, Anderson and Norgaard observed the event and provided feedback to the medics and providers at the TMC to help improve the MASCAL response plan.
“Serving as objective observer controllers of the MASCAL event; our observations gave an unbiased opinion of what went right and also areas of possible improvement,” said Norgaard, of Brookings, S.D. “These battle drills are an integral part of helping to shape the medical battlefield in preparation for an actual event.”
For the 196th medical section, protecting their own doesn’t come without protecting those they are here to serve – the Afghan people – and being ready to communicate with the local Afghans is part of being ready for any medical situation that may arise on or off base.
Recently, the medical section hired Dr. Hamidullah Hamdard, an Afghan interpreter who is also a physician.
“A doctor of medicine as an interpreter opens a variety of avenues,” said Sgt. 1st Class Wayne Hintz, medical section noncommissioned officer in charge.
“As a doctor and translator, Hamdard holds a wealth of knowledge as a physician,” continued Hintz, of Watertown, S.D. “He acts as a force multiplier with regards to our commitment to the treatment and disposition of local Afghans who receive emergency treatment on Camp Phoenix.”
“The Rules of Entitlement limit what U.S. military medical professionals can do when caring for Afghan civilians,” said Anderson. “In matters of possible loss of life, limb or eyesight, we are of course able to evaluate and provide emergency care and stabilization. However, if further definitive evaluation and treatment is required, Hamidullah works alongside camp providers to facilitate referral to the nearest appropriate medical facility.”
“We help the patients get where they need to go,” said Hamidullah. “The providers and I may not be able to treat them directly, but we can help ensure that they get to the right local Afghan facility. There are NATO mentoring teams working with local hospitals so they can improve the healthcare and treatments of the Afghan citizens.”
With this combination of partnership, coordination and training; the Task Force Rushmore Brigade Surgeon Cell looks to be providing the right dose of medicine for those who need it.
Date Taken: | 08.06.2010 |
Date Posted: | 08.06.2010 04:51 |
Story ID: | 54042 |
Location: | CAMP PHOENIX, AF |
Web Views: | 352 |
Downloads: | 194 |
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