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Keesler medics bring expertise to Peruvian towns

  • Published
  • By Steve Pivnick
  • 81st Medical Group Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Members of the 81st Medical Group recently returned from nearly two weeks in Peru where they participated in a medical readiness training exercise.

Led by Maj. Ronald Eller, 81st Medical Support Squadron Medical Logistics Flight commander, 17 dragon medics provided medical care to citizens of three Peruvian towns. The medical readiness training exercise was conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Southern Command as part of New Horizons 2012. New Horizons is an annual series of U.S. Southern Command-sponsored joint humanitarian assistance exercises deploying various U.S. military professionals; including engineers, veterinarians and medics; to Central and South American nations for training and construction projects and to provide humanitarian and medical services.

The major and four other 81st Medical Group personnel arrived in Chincha, Peru, nearly 124 miles south of Lima, July 12 as the advance element. The remainder of the team joined them July 15. They began seeing patients July 16 and completed the training exercise July 26.

Using Chincha as their operating base, the medical team, consisting of adult medicine, pediatric, OB/GYN and dermatology physicians, dentists and pharmacy and medical administration technicians, traveled to the nearby towns Independencia, Bernales and San Miguel to offer care.

Eller said by the end of the MEDRETE the Keesler medics had cared for almost 7,800 patients. This included 1,877 adult medical; 1,813 pediatric; 1,190 optometry; 1,156 dental; 1, 016 dermatology and 685 OB/GYN patients. In addition, the dentists performed 549 extractions and the pharmacy technicians filled almost 21,000 prescriptions.

"Our biggest line was at San Miguel on day two with between 800 and 1,000 people in line by 9 a.m.," the major observed.

He added that throughout the mission, the Peruvian Ministry of Health "provided either nurses or medical technicians to assist at the MEDRETE locations. We utilized MOH personnel to pass on patient referrals for follow-on care."

Eller added, "We had two non-government organizations assisting with our MEDRETE operations. The non-governmental orgainization, Project Hope, worked along-side our providers on the mission. Project Hope provided two pediatricians, a nurse practitioner and a nurse practitioner resident/mid-wife. One advantage of working with the NGO was that both the (nurse practitioner) and mid-wife spoke fluent Spanish. The Peace Corps, with their network of interpreters, was a significant help as well."