Medics brings humanitarian aid to El Salvador Published July 2, 2009 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Team Keesler lead a dozen deployed medics to El Salvador for a recent humanitarian mission. Seven team members were from the 81st Medical Group: Col. (Dr.) Kathleen Elmer, 81st Medical Operations Squadron (dermatologist), Lt. Col. Richard Rowe, 81st MDG (team planner), Maj. (Dr.) Eric Flake, 81st MDOS (pediatrician and team leader), Maj. (Dr.) Luissa Kiprono, 81st Surgical Operations Squadron (OB/GYN), Capt. (Dr.) Douglas Martin, 81st MDOS (family practitioner), Capt. Martha Hainey, 81st Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron (laboratory), and Senior Airman Gilberto Quijano, 81st Dental Squadron (dental technician). Other team members came from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., Goodfellow AFB, Texas, Columbus AFB, Miss., and Tyndall AFB, Fla. Among the clinical specialties the team offered were: family practice, dermatology, women's health, pediatrics, general dentistry, optometry and public health. During the period of April 29-May 16, the team spent 10 days providing medical care to the citizens of El Salvador in the Department of Cuscatlán. The Keesler medics worked very closely with the U.S. Military Group assigned to the American Embassy in San Salvador. The USMILGP was instrumental in linking the 12-person team with local El Salvadoran military support personnel and civilian Ministry of Health medical personnel. Colonel Rowe stressed this was a true joint effort, with the Ministry of Health providing 25-30 medical personnel each day and the El Salvadoran military providing their own medical staff, translators, escorts and support personnel. Over the 10 days, the Keesler lead team visited three different sites in Cuscatlán, treated over 7,900 patients and dispensed over 14,000 prescriptions. While performing patient care on May 14, the team was visited by Lt. Gen. Glenn Spears, U.S. Southern Command deputy commander; Ambassador Paul Trivelli, civilian deputy to the commander and foreign policy advisor to the USSOUTHCOM; and the El Salvadoran Army chief of staff. They received a briefing of medical care services rendered to date and a tour of the clinic site. Colonel Rowe said the H1N1 flu virus raised the concern of the El Salvadoran government and they declared a state of emergency to help better prepare for any possible mass outbreak. As part of its public health presentation, the Keesler medics brought over 2,000 two-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer. Colonel Rowe - who was a member of the advance group that had left four days before the main group - had phoned Captain Hainey back at Keesler asking if hand sanitizer was available. The captain provided the hand sanitizer within 48 hours, which was greatly appreciated by the El Salvadoran population. Of special note was the assistance provided by the Slidell, La., Lions Club. As Colonel Rowe planned for the mission, he discovered that the usual eye glass supplier did not have any for this mission. With less than three days before pharmaceutical supplies were to be shipped out, the colonel made several frantic phone calls looking for anyone who had at least 1,000 pairs of donated eyewear. One of his last calls was to the Slidell Lions Club. Within 20 minutes of his request, Art Bell, former president of the Slidell organization, committed 1,500 pairs - less than 24 hours later they provided Colonel Rowe more than 2,000 pairs. The colonel stressed the Slidell Lions Club saved the mission's optometry portion.