Airmen mentor Afghan counterparts to provide care

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stacia Zachary
  • U.S. Air Force Central combat camera team
FORWARD OPERATING BASE HUGHIE, Afghanistan (AFNS) --  Air Force medics here are working hand-in-hand with their counterparts from the Afghan National Army, out of a co-located clinic, to provide mentoring on medical equipment, administration and military medical care.

The three-person staff, consisting of a physician's assistant, independent medical technician and a traditional medic, operates the Forward Operating Base Hughie Troop Medical Clinic.

They are responsible for administering care to coalition servicemembers and supporting personnel stationed here, as well as providing medical support on convoys. By working in a co-located environment, they also have the opportunity to mentor the ANA garrison hospital staff.

"Many of the things we cover as enlisted mentors (include) self-aid and buddy care procedures, fluid resuscitation and preventative medical care," said Staff Sgt. John Cleaves, a Troop Medical Clinic independent medical technician deployed from the 78th Medical Group at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. "We run through the basic care everyone should be able to provide as well as how to stay healthy."

Originally, the medics provided the support necessary to get the ANA hospital operating in a functional and efficient manner, which often meant securing equipment and other supplies necessary to furnish the hospital. Now that the medical care facility operates as a fully functioning hospital, there has been a gradual shift from doing to overseeing.

"There has been a big paradigm shift in what level of involvement we give," said Capt. John MacGregor, the Troop Medical Clinic physician's assistant, deployed from the 10th Medical Group at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. "We have shifted from jumping in and doing things for them, to asking them how they would handle things. We're enabling them to find solutions."

One of the things the medics are trying to establish is the train-the-trainer program. Recently, the medics held a class on how to treat uniforms with permethrin to help cut down the spread of disease.

"We held a class where we showed a few ANA soldiers how to treat their uniforms with permethrin so that the spread of malaria and other diseases can be combated. It was the whole teach-one, show-one concept," said Sergeant Cleaves, a native of Gideon, Mo. "This was a defining moment for me because I was able to see that what I was teaching was going to be used and passed on. It was a major stepping stone in showing us that what we're doing is really working."

Another concept the medics are mentoring the ANA on is that of personal hygiene and sanitation. The mentors feel that working closely with the U.S. military helps with acceptance of these ideas.

"As we mentor them on preventative medicine and the benefit of field hygiene and good sanitation habits, then you will begin to see healthier soldiers," the sergeant said. "As we see more and more ANA soldiers going out to assist on missions, they see how we're doing things and they have a better tendency of picking up our cleanliness habits."

As the shift from training to mentoring becomes more defined, the medics are looking at helping provide structure and organization to the administrative aspect of things.

"They are now able to provide medical care on their own, which is where we wanted to be from the start. Now, we are focusing on the details like administrative files," said Senior Airman Ruthlynn Magpoc, a Troop Medical Clinic medic deployed from the 377th Medical Operations Squadron at Kirtland AFB, N.M. "Now, it's a matter of tracking the training and providing refresher classes when soldiers are due and keep the medical records of each current."

The Jalalabad regional hospital that the ANA medics work out of is responsible for treating and providing medical care to Afghan soldiers within the provinces of Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar and Khogyiani. The hospital can handle several levels of care including surgical care, dental procedures, emergency care, laboratory needs, radiology as well as a family practice and pharmacy to see to the daily needs of the soldiers.

"The hospital is capable of covering a spectrum of areas of health care," Sergeant Cleaves said.

The medical department is well staffed with three doctors, two physician's assistants, a surgical nurse, a lab technician, a radiology technician and a pharmacist.

"The clinic here is pretty lucky because there are well-trained medical providers available 24/7," said Captain MacGregor, a native of Satellite Beach, Fla. "They are competent and provide appropriate and effective care to the soldiers."

The mentorship between the hospital medical staff and Captain MacGregor is one built more out of professional courtesy than anything else.

"These are highly competent men," the captain said. "Often, we'll go through cases and have professional conversations on patient care and we'll offer suggestions, but it's more a professional interaction than training them on different procedures."

Another element the mentors bring to the ANA is the concept of military bearing in a medical environment.

"We didn't work on improving their patient care very much, as the care given is very appropriate," Captain MacGregor said. "We have added the military element which helps with the professionalism and consistency of military medicine."

Interaction with Airman Magpoc has also provided the ANA an opportunity to work with a female counterpart.

"It's exciting because it opens them up to the idea of working with women," Airman Magpoc said. "I think I have been able to show them that I can do the same job as them without any limitations. And hopefully it shows other women that it's possible to be a female medic."

As the mentorship program with ANA continues to grow, the captain sees a great opportunity to set the Afghans up for success in upcoming years.

"They are so eager to learn," Captain MacGregor said. "They really want to improve their country and they are seeing how we do things, using what works best for them and hopefully they will succeed. They have great potential."