Keesler physician in Panama to support humanitarian mission Published July 22, 2008 By Capt. Ben Sakrisson Air University Public Affairs CHITRE, Panama -- CHITRE, Panama -- A two-week exercise designed to hone the skills of medical personnel while providing free health care in remote locations began here July 12 with medics from seven military installations. One of the doctors hails from Keesler -- Capt. Bryan Farford, a family physician from the 81st Medical Operations Squadron. The medical readiness training exercise, or MEDRETE, in Panama is one of about 70 similar exercises sponsored each year by U.S. Southern Command. Through partnership with host-nation doctors, patients have been treated at three rural locations. The range of medical specialties of the Air Force medics for this MEDRETE includes dentists, optometrists, general physicians, a pediatrician and a dermatologist. Panama has a national health care system, but it's cost prohibitive for patients in many remote locations to travel to a doctor on a regular basis. The intent of this mission is to bring medical care to a location accessible by the patients and enable those requiring routine care to simultaneously be entered into the government health care system. The opportunity to deliver free medical care can make a lifelong difference to patients suffering from maladies for extended periods of time. "As long as they do not lose the eyeglasses, they will last them for a number of years," said Maj. (Dr.) Darrell Grise, an optometrist deployed here from the 96th Aerospace Medicine Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. "We get a lot of bang for the buck -- at a relatively low cost for a pair of glasses, the patients see a drastic difference in their lives." Some of the doctors, like Major Grise, have been on numerous humanitarian aid missions. This is his fourth. For Captain Farford, it's his first experience of this kind. "I'd been wanting to do this for a while, but I didn't know how to get selected," Captain Farford said. "One day I got a call and it just fell into my lap. It's rewarding to me to be able to take part in such a wonderful experience. I feel that this is a great opportunity to provide medical care for people that don't have true access to care." The medical team expects to see thousands of patients over the course of the MEDRETE.