Photo By Sgt. Alejandro Smith-Antuna | A local woman is surprised after receiving her prescription from the pharmacy portion...... read more read more
ZACAPA, Guatemala – People lined the streets awaiting free medical treatment during a joint Medical Readiness Training Exercise (MEDRETE) and humanitarian aid mission at Caseria Los Limones conducted by U.S. Air Force, Army and Guatemalan Military during operation Beyond the Horizon Guatemala Monday, April 21, 2014.
In partnership with Guatemala, U.S. Army Southern Command is executing Beyond the Horizon, a focused humanitarian assistance operation conducting various engineering assistance, medical, dental, and civic action programs.
“The biggest issue is going to be patient flow through the site,” said Army Reserve Maj. Phillip Sanchez of the 145th Multi-Functional Medical Battalion, a medical planner for the MEDRETE, “getting people in and out quickly so we can treat patients. We have about 35 medical personnel and three medical providers from the host nation.”
The MEDRETE site at Los Limones is expecting approximately 800 patients a day. The site was split into sections offering Dermatology, Dental, Family and General Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Optometry and a Pharmacy. Sanchez said the pharmacy was the last station patients would go through before leaving.
“It was awesome!” Remarked Air Force Maj. Charles Snow, who works as a gynecologist at Offutt Air Force Base, “I had a nurse from the Guatemalan Army named Gloria who was very helpful to work with.”
“The people here are very friendly,” said Senior Airmen Osniel Diaz, a native of Cuba, is a public health specialist with the 10th Aeromedical Squadron from the United States Air Force Academy, “and their military is very friendly and respects us as we respect them.”
The MEDRETE began April 21 and ended on April 26 offering free medical treatment to locals at the site. The site at Los Limones received over 600 patients on their first day.
Air Force Capt. John Mallya, a dentist with the 22nd Aeromedical Squadron said, “The overall training purpose, with the humanitarian aid thrown in, makes it really an honor to come and assist these people and knowingly have their support.”
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 04.29.2014 19:49 |
| Story ID: | 128137 |
| Location: | ZACAPA, GT |
| Hometown: | FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, NEBRASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 165 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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