Air Force med techs solve equipment problems at Vietnamese hospital

  • Published
  • By Petty Officer Matthew Olay
  • USS Peleliu Public Affairs
DA NANG, Vietnam (AFPN) --  While the USS Peleliu's embarked medical staff has been conducting medical and dental civic action programs throughout the Da Nang region, a small team of Air Force technicians have been working behind the scenes to contribute to Pacific Partnership's medical mission as well.

Three Air Force biomedical equipment repair technicians and a Navy hospital corpsman wrapped up three days of helping civilian engineers from Da Nang General Hospital troubleshoot problems with a variety of medical machines July 18.

During that time, the team was able to identify and solve problems with the hospital's oxygen generator, x-ray machine, an ultrasound machine and a patient ventilator, according to Staff Sgt. Chris Stringer, one of the team's technicians.

"The end goal is to get a good, accurate description of what needs to be replaced [for each equipment item] and then get the part number and prices to whoever can use them," said Sergeant Stringer.

Peleliu's Vietnam visit has given the embarked Airmen their first opportunity to put their expertise in medical equipment repair to use. During the ship's earlier visit to the Republic of the Philippines, the team wasn't needed for such repairs, so the Airmen volunteered to assist with a variety of civic action programs, according to Sergeant Stringer.

"We've been waiting for a couple of months to get out and do our job, so this has been a good week for us," Sergeant Stringer said of the team's time spent at Da Nang General.

Having completed their equipment assessments and recommendations at the hospital, the team of technicians is scheduled to visit six more sites before Pacific Partnership's visit to Vietnam wraps up, according to Sergeant Stringer.

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