ETTs assist, mentor Afghan medics

04.18.2007

Story by Sgt. Leeann Lloyd 

22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment   

✔ ✗ Subscribe

43

By Sgt. LeeAnn Lloyd
22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP TOMBSTONE, Afghanistan – Medical care in Afghanistan is a gamble. A toothache might prompt a visit to the dentist, but a visitor might notice a few things as he looks around the office. There are no credentials hanging on the dentist's walls verifying his ability to perform medical procedures of any kind. There are no sterile tools in sight. In fact, the only sign of a tool at all are the pliers he will use to pull out the tooth and grind down the remains until there is nothing left. But relax, the dentist will tell his patients. He is, after all, a professional.

Most dentists, doctors and healthcare 'professionals' in Afghanistan are self-proclaimed. But like U.S. Soldiers, Afghans want the best medicine possible offered to their troops. Embedded Training Teams of American and British Soldiers have been placed with Afghan National Army units to bring Afghan doctors and medical technicians up to speed on proper healthcare techniques.

"We just have no way of knowing whether they are truly doctors or not," said Army Maj. Samuel Ellis, a member of the Embedded Training Team with the ANA's 205th 'Hero' Corps. "But we take what we can get," he noted.

Air Force Capt. Bruce Ropte, an ETT member, said there is no inspection agency in Afghanistan to verify that medical standards and practices are being upheld.

"There's no proof of graduation. There's no healthcare organization here. We basically take who they give us and make the best of it. There is a captain who works with administration, he called himself a doctor, and he was actually seeing patients before we got the new doctors. He never had any medical background, but he worked in a medical facility so he called himself a doctor.

That's the kind of thing we're dealing with," Ropte said.

That is why it is so important to implement a program which teaches the highest standards of medicine, he added.

The Shorabak Medical Clinic used to be a shack in which American doctors would treat ANA soldiers. But with the opening of a new state-of-the-art facility in January came a higher level of professionalism from the Afghan troops, and members of the ETT claim these days they can't help but feel a little useless as their Afghan counterparts assume more and more control and responsibility.

"Now we are at the point where they are taking care of their own people. They are sustaining operations on their own. Our mission is now getting easier as they are taking the initiative to take care of their own camp; they are taking the initiative to maintain good book keeping. They are taking the initiative to keep an eye out for their people operating out in the firebases and the smaller operating bases," said Navy Lt. Cdr. Juan Dapena, ETT member.

"When I came back from emergency leave, the clinic was working and everything was running smoothly. It was like, 'Ok ...what am I going to do now?'" Dapena said.

The Afghan soldiers take their medical studies very seriously, as they understand their knowledge can be the thin line between life and death on the battlefield.

Akmehd, a 29-year-old medical technician, says this is his second tour with the ANA. "Before, when we were fighting with the Russians, we didn't have medics. I understand the importance now of having this medical knowledge, to be able to treat those who might be in the same situation as the one I was in. I have treated many casualties on the combat field," he said.

Recently, Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Garland gave a class to the medical techs on how to properly treat a chest wound. This type of training has proven helpful on more than one occasion, the Afghan troops said.

"We all want knowledge to treat those on the battlefield who fight for their country. We were faced with fighting the Taliban in Gereshk recently, so we were very happy we knew how to treat one of the ANP (Afghan National Police) who was injured. We were able to sustain him and help him regain stability. We want to learn as much as we can to help our people and serve our country. We are very thankful for the Americans who have come to help us and our people," said Sohal, a 27-year-old medical technician.

The Americans mentoring and assisting the Afghan troops said the technicians they are training are moving forward in leaps and bounds. When the Shorabak Medical Clinic is completely operational and fully stocked, they don't see any limits to what these ANA troops will be capable of.

"It is amazing, the progress I have seen with these guys over the past year," Dapena said. "They went from, 'Hey, what is this for?' to 'Doc, get out of my way, I've got work to do.' It's very impressive. You can see the change. In one year, you can see the difference of how they have turned into medics, and you can see how compassionate they are with the patients."

(Note: At the request of the medics, names of Afghan soldiers quoted have been changed to protect their identity.)