Communication Key to Helping Iraqi Doctors in Wasit Province

Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson, USA

[SandRat]

A little boy looks up after receiving a toy car at the Abbas Hospital March 12. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA — In an effort to provide sustainable health projects in the Wasit province and maintain a clear line of communication, local Iraqi doctors met with the medical team from the 41st Fires Brigade at the Al Abbas Hospital March 12.

The visit was part of Operation Gunner Med, a joint medical civil-military operation between the Wasit Director General of Health and the 41st Fires Brigade, designed to restore the medical capacity in Wasit and improve the level of patient care.

“The most important thing we want everyone to know is that we are trying to open up all the lines of communication so we can discuss things, with the ultimate goal of making things better for patients in Wasit,” said Capt. N.I. Okpokwasili, 41st Fires Bde. surgeon.

This was the first visit to the Abbas Hospital by Okpokwasili since he assumed the brigade surgeon position. Much of his visit was spent with the senior Iraqi physician, Dr. Nawfal Al Malily, explaining the medical capabilities that Forward Operating Base Delta has and how the 41st Fires Bde. medical team can help him and his staff.

“Most of the stuff that you have at Al Abbas is far above what we have over at FOB Delta,” explained Okpokwasili to the staff. “The American medical system in Iraq is not to completely fix our Soldiers here. Instead, we stabilize and then we send them out either to Germany or the United States.”

What the 41st Fires Bde. medical team can offer to the doctors at Abbas is weekly training and discussion of case, said Okpokwasili.

Okpokwasili also explained the video-teleconferencing systems that the ministry of health and the 41st Fires Bde. are installing in the local hospitals in Wasit to enable communication between each of the hospitals as well as Baghdad.

“Our surgeons can discuss with your surgeons the things that they know. In that way we can be a resource,” said Okpokwasili. “Once you establish if our doctors can help you then we can establish how.”

[SandRat]

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