Airmen provide medical, dental care in Thailand

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Angelique Perez
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
PUK TONG CHAI, Thailand (AFNS) --  Members from medical groups all over the Pacific Air Forces teamed up with Thai and Singaporean dental and optometry teams to dedicate their time and skills setting up a make-shift clinic at the Barr Lum Nong Kaew, a village grade school here. 

"We're treating those who are in need and might not normally have access to care or might not have the means to pay for dental care," said Tech. Sgt. Aimee McLaren, a dental hygienist with the 18th Dental Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan.

The lines seem endless as hundreds of people filled the schools awaiting the free health care they would normally have to live without, added Sergeant McLaren.

The dental teams worked side-by-side with dental teams from both Thailand and Singapore providing check-ups, cleanings and a large amount of tooth extractions due to long periods of time without access to dental clinics and sufficient oral care.

Sergeant McLaren said that it's a big change from the day-to-day care given to military members and their dependents at home station because most of those patients have very good oral health.

"Doing our part to help those in need makes me feel very good," said the sergeant.

While the dental teams work, an optometry team does their best to provide on-the-spot vision correction. First they test a patient's eyesight for near or far sightedness, infections and other visual abnormalities. Then the optometrist writes a prescription for the needed eye-drops, or appropriate corrective glasses which are given right there in a classroom turned optometry office.

The teams have traveled all over Thailand during the past few weeks during the Cope Tiger 2009 exercise setting up temporary clinics in schools all around the country.

Along with the health care provided, computers and other school supplies were donated. Large water jugs were on the top of the list so the children could have a safe, permanent water supply in the classrooms. Additionally, a monetary donation of 30,000 baht, about $1,000 were donated from the military members participating in Cope Tiger 2009.

"We asked for donations and collected over $4,400 dollars from the 800 military members here, which was quite amazing," said Maj. Dan Warnock, a legal advisor in the 613th Air Operations Center at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. "So we asked what kinds of things we could bring here to donate that will benefit the school."

The major also worked with the Thai liaison to set up many of the outreach programs.

The five desktop and three laptop computers were donated through an Air Force rehabilitation process which sanitizes and distributes out-of-date computers that are no longer being actively used to give away on humanitarian missions. The keyboards and monitors, however, were bought with the donated money from Cope Tiger personnel.

"It's a great feeling to be able to be involved in this," said the major. "We have such a blessed situation in the United States, and it's good to be able to use some of our money and skills and donate them."

The medical and dental personnel involved came from Yokota, Misawa, and Kadena Air Bases in Japan as well as Anderson AFB, Guam, and Hickam AFB, as part of a humanitarian relief with their RSAF and RTAF counterparts to perform a medical civil action plan visits in Thailand.

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