Airmen build mobile medical facilty

  • Published
  • By Capt. Regina Berry
  • 36 AEW, Public Affairs
KONA, Hawaii --  If you were told the Air Force was going to build a fully functional hospital in a barren field in just 11 hours would you believe it? It happened at the Kona International Airport Jan. 29 as more than 90 Airmen, primarily from the 3rd Medical Group, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, set up an Expeditionary Medical Support Facility as part of exercise Pacific Lifeline.

Complete with an emergency room, intensive care unit, operating room, two wards, a pharmacy, lab and dental, radiology, obstetrics/gynecology and pediatric capabilities, the Airmen constructed a fully operational stand alone hospital in a fictitious island country after a typhoon devastated the area.

"The physical set up is a series of dome shaped Alaskan Shelter tents that have an aluminum skeleton, are about 15 by 30 feet wide, close to nine feet high and linked together by a hallway." said Lt. Col. Greg Schumacher, 3 MDG orthopedic surgeon. "Based on our supplies, this (size of facility) gives us the capability to manage 10 surgical and 20 non-surgical injuries in a 24-hour period."

Called the EMEDS +10, the hospital is a part of the Humanitarian Relief Operations - Operational Capability Package--a new PACAF concept that includes rapidly deploying an EMEDS and Contingency Response Group in response to humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

"In this scenario, medics are the main mission being supported by the 36th CRG from Andersen (Air Force Base, Guam)," said Col. Nicholas Miniotis, 3rd EMEDS commander. "The EMEDS facility is all medical and we don't have the resources to operate our own base. The CRG provides us with tents to live in, clean water, security, contracting support and a host of other services in order to accomplish our mission."

The 36 CRG is designed to be PACAF's first on-scene Air Force forces trained to command, assess, and prepare a base for expeditionary aerospace forces.

"During this exercise they came in first and laid the ground work similar to what they would do to get things ready for a deploying fighter wing, but instead of bringing in jets we are bringing in medical support," Colonel Miniotis said.

In addition to providing emergency and general medical services, additional capabilities such as OB/GYN and pediatric assets are becoming more commonplace when supporting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

"Historically during humanitarian missions, especially in areas of the world that have large populations, a significant percentage of our patients are children and adolescents," said Colonel Miniotis.

"For humanitarian purposes it's a must to embed OB/GYN and pediatrics with an EMEDS," said Maj. Shahid Zaidi, 3rd MDG staff pediatrician. "I've done humanitarian types of assignments but not in an EMEDS situation like we're exercising here, this is different because it's more emergency or emergent care."

The hands on training the Airmen receive during set up and other medical tasks is invaluable.

"This training is good because it deals with real life situations," said Staff Sgt. Marcus Andrade, 3 MDG, medical logistician. "Humanitarian assistance isn't something we train for every day, but it's important and we must be prepared to respond whenever called upon to do so."