Photo By Staff Sgt. Alexus Wilcox | U.S. Army Maj. Jason Bingham, General Surgeon, operates alongside U.S. Army Lt. Col....... read more read more
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DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB, Ariz. – Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern) completed Operation Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) in Castries, Saint Lucia, March 22, 2023. During the 56-day medical assistance mission, a team of 29 military healthcare professionals and support staff worked alongside local medical providers to deliver no-cost care to more than 1,100 people in Suriname, Guyana and Saint Lucia.
The joint U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army operation is part of U.S. Southern Command’s (USSOUTHCOM) Enduring Promise initiative, which reinforces the United States’ longstanding commitment to its neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean by increasing partner nation capacity and building interoperability to improve security and stability in the Western Hemisphere.
During their nearly two-month mission, medical and support personnel deployed in support of Operation LAMAT performed 184 surgeries, completed 16 dental surgeries, and examined 298 emergency room and 688 dental patients. The team also provided approximately $450,000 USD in supplies to utilize during their operations, easing inventory shortages at the local facilities. Supplies remaining upon mission completion were donated to the hospitals.
In addition to the care provided, the team also assessed and repaired critical medical equipment, including sterilization devices, X-ray machines, dental chairs, neo-natal baby warmers and more. The repairs amounted to 715 hours of labor and parts totaling nearly $50,000 USD, improving medical diagnostic and patient care capabilities at those facilities.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with this mission. LAMAT was a win-win-win experience for us, our partners, and the patients we served,” said Maj. Gen. Evan Pettus, 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) commander. “Our presence provided a truly beneficial capacity boost to our partners’ facilities, and we were able to exchange knowledge, expertise and insights amongst one another. Finally, our medical professionals received valuable hands-on experience that absolutely enhanced their professional readiness. We are all better for the exchange.”
LAMAT’s goal was to strengthen partnerships, foster knowledge exchange, develop relationships, and enhance medical readiness to collectively combat transboundary challenges between the U.S. and the three nations visited. The mission further affirms that the U.S. is a trusted partner in the region that offers humanitarian assistance with no strings attached.
Operation LAMAT began in Suriname, where medical and dental providers delivered care at the Academic Hospital and Stichting Jeugdtandverzorging (JTV), which translates to Youth Dental Care Foundation, in Paramaribo and the newly-founded dental clinic in Redi Doti.
During closing ceremonies on Feb. 16, 2023, in Paramaribo, U.S. Ambassador in Suriname Robert Faucher said, “the opportunity to work together, especially to work together in person, is worth more than gold. Through this work, we’ve been able to motivate and help each other, and that is priceless.”
As an ad hoc addition to the program, LAMAT members joined JTV staff to open a new dental care facility in rural Redi Doti. LAMAT dental providers were the first to see patients at the clinic, which will offer low-cost care to local residents who would otherwise have to travel for treatment.
“The population was asking for a clinic, and about a year ago, we began taking active steps toward making that happen,” said Dr. Amar Ramadhin, Minister of Health in Suriname. “It’s important that this community has access to better healthcare. This clinic allows patients to avoid unnecessary transportation to a big city like Paramaribo.”
Following their success in Suriname, the team moved operations to Guyana, providing general surgery, emergency room visits, and dental care at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Diamond Hospital, and West Demerara Regional Hospital.
“The ability to grow and learn from other dental professionals has been such a highlight,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Daniel Reid, a LAMAT dentist. “The providers we worked with here have so much experience and were extremely generous to our team. This mission will help me provide better care to my patients back home.”
The LAMAT mission’s final location was Saint Lucia, where the team provided general surgery and dental care at the Owen King European Union (OKEU) Hospital, La Clery Health Centre, and Soufrière Hospital.
During the March 23, 2023, closing ceremonies in Castries, the Saint Lucian medical team expressed their gratitude to LAMAT personnel.
“Many of these surgeries addressed issues that our surgical team would not have been able to with the facilities we had at hand,” said Dr. Lisa Charles, Director of Clinical Services, Millennium Heights Medical Complex. “I want you to walk away knowing that you absolutely made a fundamental difference.”
David Schnier, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy Bridgetown, supporting the Eastern Caribbean, joined Jenny Daniel, Permanent Secretary of Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Health and Wellness, to visit the medical team and tour OKEU Hospital March 14, 2023. Both praised the cooperation between U.S. and Saint Lucian providers and thanked the medical team for their hard work.
“The United States and Saint Lucia have enjoyed a long partnership in the area of health, and the LAMAT mission follows the visit of the USNS Comfort hospital ship in 2019 and the delivery of thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2021. This mission is representative of the U.S. people’s continued commitment to its partnership with Saint Lucia,” said Schnier.
According to LAMAT personnel, the most notable successes of the two-month operation were the exchange of knowledge to benefit all participants and building lasting partnerships so our nations are better able to support one another in future times of crisis.
“The opportunity to work as a team in a dynamic environment is an invaluable experience that will directly translate to saving lives on the battlefield,” said U.S. Army Maj. Jason Bingham, a LAMAT surgeon. “I’ve greatly enjoyed the knowledge sharing that occurred between our team and our incredibly talented local counterparts. We’re all better as a result.”
In all locations, the respective partner nations’ ministries of health in coordination with hospital medical directors identified patients to receive surgical and dental care. Patients were selected based upon the procedures the U.S. military surgeons on the team could perform, including general and gastrointestinal surgery, such as hernia repair and cyst excisions. The dental team focused on treating underserved populations, offering cleanings, fillings, extractions and preventative care.
The LAMAT mission was part of USSOUTHCOM’s ongoing medical assistance operations in Latin America and the Caribbean intended to build partnerships, provide relief to overwhelmed medical facilities, and improve the region’s collective ability to meet complex global challenges.
| Date Taken: | 03.22.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2023 14:28 |
| Story ID: | 442338 |
| Location: | TUCSON, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 467 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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