Afghan medics, Coalition Forces provide medical training, equipment

TARIN KOWT, AFGHANISTAN

03.11.2011

Story by Lt. Arlo Abrahamson 

NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan

ORUZGAN, Afghanistan – Afghan doctors and members of a Coalition Forward Surgical Team provided equipment and training for 12 medical professionals from a local hospital March 11.

"Special Operations Task Force - Southeast bought $103,000 worth of equipment for the Tarin Kowt hospital," said a U.S. Army Special Operations surgeon. “Building the human capacity and relationships with our peers is the enduring mission here.”

The training came primarily from Afghan medical personnel from the Tarin Kowt hospital who are working at the FST clinic as residents under the instruction of U.S. military doctors.

"While the equipment will improve the quality of their healthcare, it's not as valuable as the knowledge we're providing today," said the surgeon. "The ultimate goal is to impart our knowledge and healthcare ethics to the local doctors so they can take care of their patients.”

The Tarin Kowt facility is a 75-bed hospital for the people of Oruzgan province.

"This training will improve our capacity to provide quality care to our people. The combination of equipment and training is very useful and will help us increase the quality of our healthcare," said Doctor Ajab Noor, the director of Afghan Health Services. "We are very pleased.”

• Date Taken: 03.11.2011
• Date Posted: 03.13.2011 04:21
• Story ID: 66957
• Location: TARIN KOWT, AF