MEDFLAG team treats 8,100 patients, livestock

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Justin Weaver
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
BAMAKO, Mali --  The largest annual medical exercise in Africa came to a close July 26, 2008, culminating two-weeks of intense training and humanitarian assistance in villages throughout Mali. 

More than 30 Aviano Airmen, along with 60 servicemembers, deployed to Bamako, Mali, for MEDFLAG 08, a multi-national medical training exercise designed to enhance medical capabilities and readiness for U.S. and African forces. 

Throughout MEDFLAG, the medical team visited four villages, trained more than 160 doctors, medics and nurses, saw more than 4,000 patients, extracted about 600 teeth, treated 4,100 goats and sheep, and conducted the first-ever mass casualty exercise in Mali. 

"We exceeded all expectations we had for this exercise and humanitarian mission," said Lt. Col. Troy McGilvra, MEDFLAG 08 commander deployed from the 31st Medical Group, Aviano Air Base, Italy. "I couldn't have asked for a better team to have worked with." 

During the two-week exercise, the medical team focused their efforts in three phases. The first phase consisted of medical training with Mali medical personnel in a variety of subject areas, including emergency medicine, triage, stabilization, evacuation, and disaster preparedness training. 

During the second phase, Mali medical personnel practiced their disaster response services in a mass casualty scenario exercise. Using medical make-up and latex injury reproductions, realistic casualties were created to test the Malian's medical response personnel and civilian medical teams. 

Lastly, Malian and U.S. medical personnel provided a wide range of on-site medical services in outlaying communities, to include basic medical evaluation and treatment, preventive medicine treatment, dental screenings and treatment, optometry screenings, eyewear distribution and public health training. Additionally, U.S. Army veterinarians vaccinated and de-wormed livestock in the surrounding villages. 

For Colonel McGilvra, this MEDFLAG exercise will be one he said he'll never forget. During day three of his team's humanitarian visit, one of the ladies in line for care went in to labor and gave birth to a baby girl. In honor of the MEDFLAG team's visit, Colonel McGilvra was asked to name her baby. 

"I named the baby Shelly, after my wife," Colonel McGilvra said. "It was overwhelming to have such a great honor given to me." 

The MEDFLAG team consisted of a full array of medical specialties from bases in Europe and the United States. The team included: surgeons, physicians, dentists, optometrists, and public health staff. Bioenvironmental engineering staff, nurses, pharmacy staff, medical technicians and logistics and administrative specialists rounded out the joint service team providing care to thousands of Malians.