Photo By Senior Airman Devlin Bishop | U.S. Airmen work with hospital staff to provide family medicine care to Surinamese...... read more read more
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PARAMARIBO, Suriname – U.S. Air Force medical and support personnel provided care to hundreds of patients while collaborating with local practitioners during a two-week Global health engagement with Surinamese health care providers, July 12-25.
AMISTAD 2025 brought together American and Surinamese medical teams across multiple facilities, emphasizing family medicine and knowledge exchange in resource-limited settings. The mission aimed to strengthen regional partnerships while enhancing medical readiness for both nations.
"Our team is here to help increase access to care and learn from our Surinamese partners," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Hendrikus Vanderveldt, 931st Aerospace Medicine Squadron commander. "Seeing how they practice family medicine with such efficiency and resilience, especially in remote or underserved areas, helps us become better clinicians."
The mission included a broad range of medical services, with U.S. personnel supporting patient care and medical knowledge exchange across various specialties. Family medicine was one of the main focuses.
Participants included members of the 931st Aerospace Medicine Squadron, as well as multiple augmentees from the 514th Aerospace Medicine Squadron and other Air Force units. U.S. medical personnel operated at multiple locations throughout Suriname, including Academic Hospital Paramaribo and two Regional Health Services clinics in the country's interior: Brownsweg Clinic and Wanica Hospital.
At Brownsweg Clinic, which serves approximately 6,000 residents, a U.S. family medicine provider worked alongside Surinamese clinicians to observe and support outpatient care. In Suriname, family medicine providers often deliver a wide scope of services, ranging from prenatal care to chronic disease management.
"In a regional clinic like Brownsweg, there's often just one provider covering thousands of patients," Vanderveldt said. "That person is on call 24/7 and responsible for everything from delivering babies to managing chronic illness and treating injuries."
U.S. personnel supported clinical operations, observed local medical practices and engaged in information exchanges focused on care delivery in resource-limited settings. According to mission leadership, the goal was to enhance interoperability and build long-term relationships with partner nation providers.
The two-week mission also included medical lectures, case discussions and collaboration during daily medical operations.
"There's more than one way to do anything, and ultimately, it's about reaching your end goal of quality patient care," said Maj. Erin Regan, 113th Wing, D.C. Air National Guard clinical nurse. "We may not always have the equipment or supplies we're used to, so it's good to see alternative methods that can be applied in austere environments."
AMISTAD 2025 is conducted under U.S. Southern Command's humanitarian assistance program and aims to strengthen regional partnerships through medical cooperation.
| Date Taken: | 07.24.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.25.2025 19:48 |
| Story ID: | 543912 |
| Location: | LELYDORP, SR |
| Web Views: | 34 |
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