 |
| Maj.
(Dr.) Jennifer LaPointe, a family practice physician
with the 42nd Medical Group, counsels local civilians
during the MEDRETE exercise in Ecuador.
(Courtesy photo) |
Capt.
Sarah E.M. Schwennesen
U.S. Military Group, Quito, Ecuador, Public Affairs
PASTOCALLE, Ecuador -- Over
a period of nine days in the mountains of Ecuador, 16 U.S.
Air Force medical specialists shattered a U.S. Military Group
treatment record when they treated more than 9,200 patients
during their Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDRETE).
Beginning
in late May, doctors and technicians from the 42nd
Medical Group at Maxwell AFB, Ala., provided free medical
care to thousands of Ecuadorians who have limited access
to general medicine health care.
The
U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador visited the MEDRETE, with the
Ecuadorian Air Force Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Edmundo Baquero
Madera. They toured the treatment site of Pastocalle
and saw the benefits of American and Ecuadorian air force
medical personnel working together to assist the people
of this town.
Air
Force doctors from this group provided various treatments
to their Ecuadorian patients, alongside Ecuadorian medical
personnel from the Ecuadorian air force. In three
isolated and underprivileged towns, the team set up a clinic
each day that ensured Ecuadorian Indians in the remote areas
of the Cotopaxi province received free medical treatments.
Working
in conditions that ranged from school rooms without electricity
and windows to places that lacked running water, the Air
Force doctors overcame the austere conditions to provide
top-notch medical care to hundreds, sometimes thousands,
of patients each day. In the towns of Zumbahua, Papahurco
and Pastocalle, the medics worked from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
each day in the medical clinic.
The
doctors provided many types of treatment to help the Ecuadorians
who would line up outside of the clinic awaiting their opportunity
to receive free medical care. The treatments included:
dental services; optometry screening and glasses; pediatric
care; obstetrics and gynecology services, anti-parasitic
treatment; and family practice care.
During
the 9-day MEDRETE, the team of 16 highly-skilled doctors
and technicians traveled up to two hours each way
to reach the treatment sites.
Maj.
Lisa Schmidt, the officer-in-charge of the MEDRETE said,
“This was a great experience for the entire team.
We were able to go into an unfamiliar environment, to quickly
adapt to the new surroundings and to provide medical care
within one hour of arriving at every treatment site.
This exercise provided us with invaluable training for conditions
that we could be faced with in deployed situations.”
The
U.S. Air Force medical team was assisted by Ecuadorian physicians
from the Ecuadorian air force base in Latacunga. They
also benefited from translation services by Peace Corps
volunteers, local nationals who taught English, and two
special volunteers who were visiting their relatives at
the U.S. Military Group in Quito, Ecuador.
“The
people we helped were very appreciative of the simple things
we could do for them. For example, we provided vitamins
or Tylenol, things that we as Americans take for granted,”
said Schmidt. “Most of the people had parasites, some
of them for years, due to a lack of a clean water supply,
something that we also take for granted. These people
work very hard, but they don’t have the ability to get their
basic health care needs met, that’s why it was so beneficial
for us to come down here and get our necessary training
while also assisting groups of very deserving people.”
The
U.S. Southern Command medical readiness training exercise
program conducts exercises throughout Latin America in various
countries to provide much-needed medical care to people
in remote areas and also train military medical personnel
to work in austere environments.
During
the treatment, Air Force Medical Service personnel diagnosed
illnesses, provided medicines to patients, referred patients
for surgeries at Ecuadorian clinics and educated patients
in preventative medicine relating to sanitation and the
use of sunglasses to protect against cataracts which are
common in this area.
