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Paktya Regional Hospital cares for Afghan National Army's families

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Evelyn Chavez
  • Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Affairs
PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan (AFNS) --  Afghanistan National Security Forces and their dependants are entitled to free military health care throughout the country. This service is not often used by families due to lack of awareness or proximity to a military facility. The Paktya Regional Military Hospital is a 50-bed inpatient facility which has hundreds of outpatient visits daily and, of those, almost none are from family members.

Helping the hospital staff raise awareness of this resource was a project supported by the Medical Embedded Training Team at Forward Operating Base Lightning. The goal of the program, named Women's and Children's Clinic, is to provide ANSF family members with medication, prescriptions, immunizations and health education. FOB Lightning's Medical ETT assisted with the availability of medication, consultation and educational materials.

"We are hoping it is an all (Afghan National Army) operation, Afghans taking care of Afghans," said Capt. Tess Marcial, a logistics and patient administrator. "We offer suggestions and provide materials, but the patients need to trust and gain confidence in the medical professionals available to them."

Three months of preparation by both Paktya Regional Military Hospital staff and U.S. Medical ETT consisted of facilitating entrance of female dependants onto the base, identifying the program as a priority and getting the information out to key leaders, supplying medication and hygienic products, and preparing an examination room with a private entrance.

The clinic is primarily directed by the Poly Clinic, which consists of three physicians whose backgrounds are treating women and children. These physicians emphasize that although the Women's and Children's Clinic has a set day and time, care for families will continue to be available whenever it is needed. They offer medical examination, review and dispensing of immunizations, hygiene education and prescriptions which include prenatal vitamins, children's vitamins, stomach medications, birth control pills and other over the counter medications.

"Most families don't know that these services are offered here in the Paktya community," Captain Marcial said. "My hope for this program is that families will become aware of this benefit as an entitlement and get the feeling there is an extended military family here to meet their medical needs."