Courtesy Photo | Capt. Militza Harris, physician's assistant for Task Force Eagle, examines the arm of...... read more read more
FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan " In a small brick building in the village of Motokon, lives are being changed. It is here in a dimly lit room with bare concrete floors that a United States Soldier provides medical care for a 2-year-old Afghan child who may not have otherwise received medication to treat his life-threatening, 105 degree fever.
This was the first of over 200 patients, however, that started the day for Capt. Militza Harris, Physician's Assistant for Task Force Eagle, who participated in a combined medical assistance mission in Motokon, Afghanistan May 2.
With proper medication and medical expertise provided by Harris, the young child's problem is easily corrected.
"The purpose of the mission was to provide medical assistance to all the people of Motokon," said Harris, a member of the 37th Engineer Battalion from Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
"Many Afghans do not receive proper medical care because the medical system here is very old; it's probably about 100 years behind in medical knowledge," she added.
In the most extreme case of the lacking medical system, Harris spoke about a woman who tragically lost the majority of her face due to mouth cancer.
"The story that she gave me was 'she had a little growth in her mouth, they took her to Kabul and she had a simple surgery (to remove it). Now she is missing half of her face and she can not talk anymore; you can see the pain that this lady is going through daily."
Harris admits she does not know exactly what went wrong in the course of the woman's treatment, but she is certain the woman was not cared for properly.
"It's just sad to see the stuff that happens out here daily," said Harris.
The purpose of a CMA mission is to treat illnesses such as these before it becomes too late.
Spc. Dak Rainey, one of Harris's combat medics who also participated in the CMA, explains his perspective of CMA missions.
"I feel as if by me treating and helping these people, I'm indirectly helping American Soldiers."
Rainey went on to explain that when villagers in the area see coalition forces supporting them, it will hopefully improve their view of the coalition and in turn, lead to less improvised explosive devises and attacks.
Rainey also has personal reasons for his support and dedication. "It really feels good when you're able to help these people in a way they normally wouldn't be able to be helped. Improving their lives just feels very rewarding," he said.
In a country where clean drinking water and daily bathing are luxuries that few citizens are privileged enough to experience, a lack of cleanliness also leads to major medical problem for many citizens of Afghanistan.
"A lot of times we see problems associated with infection," said Rainey. "These people know they've been injured, they know they need to bandage it, but dealing with the secondary affects of injuries comes down to a lack of cleanliness, antibiotics and knowledge."
To battle the deficiency in knowledge, Capt. Harris is working with medical practitioners in the area to organize classes that will teach basic medical treatment to citizens of Sharana. Among the classes that will be taught is first aid and how to treat infections, said Harris.
These classes will be very helpful because many of the health problems here can be treated quickly with the proper medical knowledge, she stated.
Although far from home, these Soldiers seem to understand the importance of their mission here.
"I miss my daughter, she just turned one-year-old a couple of days ago; (leaving her) is the hardest thing I've had to do in my life. When I see these kids smiling at me and I know I'm helping them get a better life I think, "O.k. it's worth it"," said Harris.
The work done here is also very rewarding, she said.
"You can see the gratitude of the people you help in their eyes," said Harris. "Sometimes they even look at you like you're a hero and that's an awesome sensation."
When it comes to providing medical assistance, whether for a 2-year-old baby or a 20-year-old man, these Soldiers from Task Force Eagle always seem willing.
"You may not be making a difference in the entire country, but you are making a difference in somebody's world," said Rainey. "Knowing that gives me a little more to wake up for every day."
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2006 09:47 |
| Story ID: | 6619 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, AF |
| Web Views: | 121 |
| Downloads: | 49 |
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