Average People Given Care Not Otherwise Available
There was one more step taken toward achieving overall quality health care in the region near Nasr Wa Salam last week. Troops from 1st Battalion, 21st Stryker Infantry Reg, 25th Infantry, and Multinational Forces- Baghdad worked with local officials to conduct a series of health examinations last week. Working with their battalion surgical officer, the troops were able to provide a deeper level of health care than normally is present.
One little girl was discovered to have a heart defect, and working with an interpreter the battalion surgeon worked with her family to discuss the various options available for treatment. This kind of medical care is standard in western nations, but is new to the Iraqi people. The little girl was treated at the new public health facility constructed with coalition aid recently.
Ongoing efforts toward peace and reconciliation between different factions have led to greatly decreased violence. As the issues are worked out between the Shi’ites and the Sunnis, there are other new challenges that can be addressed by the efforts of Coalition forces. One of these is this deeper level of diagnostic and in depth health care.
This military effort is one designed to slowly connect the specialized needs of children and others for advanced medical care, with the Iraqi Ministry of Health. As violence lessens, it is becoming possible to render assistance and training for Iraqi medical professionals to deal with these problems themselves. It slowly becomes less and less of a Coalition responsibility as trained Iraqi personnel can be fit into the situations.
“Overall the Iraqi physicians wish to reconcile and work for their Iraqi Health Ministry, this is the overwhelming focus by these physicians,†said Major Jason Davis. Major Davis is the 1-21st Infantry battalion surgeon who is working with citizens at the public health clinic.
