BAMYAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan –Tucked away into a corner of the Bamyan Provincial Reconstruction Team Headquarters is a small compound housing members of the Royal Malaysian Medical and Dental Force.
The Malaysian army is working with the civilian community to improve health care and the quality of life for residents of Bamyan province.
“We are treating many diseases that have been eradicated in other parts of the world,” said Royal Malaysian Medical and Dental Force commander, Malaysian army Lt. Col. Rusman Bin Sanip.
Malaysian healthcare providers are teaching local midwives, providing dental care, training park rangers and purifying water.
“We are here to assist in the reconstruction of the Bamyan health care system, by enhancing capacity, mentoring and training,” said Rusman.
He said providing medical care in Bamyan province poses many challenges. Bamyan residents experience health-related issues due to a variety of environmental factors including: geographical isolation, poor immunization support and impure drinking water.
The Malaysian medical team is using a variety of innovative techniques to defeat these challenges. Perhaps the most daunting of which is access to safe drinking water.
“Waterborne diseases are the number one cause of illness in Bamyan,” said Malaysian army Maj. Muhammad Arshil.
Arshil began researching inexpensive and sustainable means of delivering clean water to local residents. He and his team fashioned a small water filtration system using a steel drum and clean sand from the bed of a local river.
Arshil said locals were initially reluctant to purify their water over fears that the chlorine used in the purification process was not “halal” or religiously permissible.
“Because we are also Muslims, they listened to us,” said Arshil. “We were able to convince them that chlorination was halal.”
Another example of innovation is the Malaysian medical team’s dental outreach program. Faced with an extreme lack of access to quality dental care, the Malaysian team once again was forced to improvise by training assistants to perform procedures normally conducted by licensed dentists.
“There is only one dentist in Bamyan,” said Malaysian army Capt. Rina Sumira. “I am teaching dental assistants to do extractions, fillings and cleanings.”
Malaysian medical team members are also working to increase access to immunizations and to conduct blood drives.
“One in five children under the age of four die in Afghanistan due to lack of immunizations,” said Malaysian army Capt. Rauhah Muhammad Salleh.
Recognizing a critical need for blood in the local hospital, Malaysian team members embarked upon a campaign to convince locals to participate in blood drives.
Donating blood is a relatively new idea in Afghanistan. Locals were fearful of the process and resisted efforts to organize a drive. To overcome this challenge, the medical team enlisted the assistance of Mullah Hajji Ahmadi, the Grand Mullah of Bamyan Province. Ahmadi gave public service announcements about the importance of donating blood and brought people to the clinic to make donations.
“One of our donors was too eager to give blood,” said Arshil “His blood pressue was not suitable for donation, but he refused to leave. We waited for his blood pressure to reach acceptable limits and allowed him to donate.”
In addition to providing medical care, Malaysian professionals are also training local park rangers. Bamyan province is home to some of the most scenic areas in Afghanistan, including the stunning Badi Amir National Park. Medical team members are training Afghan park rangers to provide basic life support and first aid. Ironically, while conducting training at Badi Amir a young girl nearly drowned in one of the lakes.
“A girl drowned and two of our Soldiers had to conduct CPR,” said Arshil. “We managed to save her, this occurred while we were teaching basic life support.”
Although small in number, members of the Royal Malaysian Medical and Dental Force said they are determined to make a difference in Bamyan province.
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 07.23.2011 13:16 |
| Story ID: | 74207 |
| Location: | BAMYAN PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 144 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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