STORY AND PHOTO BY SPC. SHARMAIN BURCH/THIRD ARMY, U.S. ARMY CENTRAL
Health-care professionals from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, the Kyrgyz Republic, Lebanon, Pakistan, Yemen and 11 other partner nations gathered in the United States at the Military Medical Operations Symposium in Washington, D.C., to discuss effective emergency health-care response strategies.
The five-day conference in February 2013 covered topics ranging from disease surveillance, preparedness and response to chemical, biological and radiological incidents. It also emphasized coordination between civil authorities and the military to achieve goals.
“Establishing a prepared response for health care is critical prior to an emergency,” said Brig. Gen. Rex Spitler, Third Army, U.S. Army Central director of strategy and effects. In a crisis “being able to coordinate transportation and deploy medical personnel to provide immediate triage will be crucial. We can’t start the process soon enough because you just don’t know when that emergency will occur.”
The conference focused on planning, coordinating and executing operations following a natural disaster. Attendees discussed immediate-response tactics, the need for fiscal responsibility and long-term medical issues. They also developed lasting professional relationships and shared experiences as they worked together toward a common goal.
Iraqi Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Yasir Kamal Rasheed, dean of the Iraqi military medical institute, described the construction of Baghdad’s only military medical training facility. The facility, which graduates 2,700 medical professionals yearly, was completed in February 2010.
“After [Operation Iraqi Freedom], Iraq was left without medical facilities to support their needs, but through joint operations [between the U.S. and Iraq], a medical training facility was established to further first aid responders’ abilities to treat patients,” Rasheed said. “With the Americans’ help, we have nine units that work with the Surgeon General’s Office, including training and logistics support.”
Developing plans for the future was a critical component of the symposium. “We need to build for the new generation,” said Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Abdulkarim Mohammed Saleh al-Zabidi, deputy director of Yemen’s military training services. “We all need proper [military medical] structures to succeed at this goal, and we can’t do it alone.”