U.S. Army medics hold clinic for Iraqi citizens

http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?story_id_key=8247

By Spc. Ben Brody

BAGHDAD (Army News Service, Nov. 23, 2005) -- Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, conducted a medical capabilities assessment and clinic in Baghdad Nov. 18.

Medics set up the clinic in a local school, saw more than 100 residents, and dispensed medical advice and basic treatments.

“It’s basically a sick call for the people of Baghdad that we’re running here,” said Capt. Scott Baumgartner, 1st Bn., 9th FA physician’s assistant. “We saw an opportunity to do something good for the Iraqi people and followed up on it.”

School workers cleaned out two classrooms and medics set up a triage room where they took patients’ vital signs and made a list of their complaints.

After a screening in the triage room, the patients saw Baumgartner and Staff Sgt. Gilberto Colon, 1/9 FA medic platoon sergeant.

“At the triage room, we’re just looking for blood pressure, temperature, and to try and figure out what’s bothering them,” said Spc. Felipe Rodriguez, 1/9 FA medic.

Rodriguez said people were helpful in describing their symptoms to him.

An hour after the clinic opened, a large crowd had already formed outside the schoolhouse and Soldiers from A Battery, 1/9 FA formed them into orderly lines, and passed out stuffed animals and small Iraqi flags.

“Most of the complaints are pretty routine – upper respiratory infections, joint pain in older people and stomach aches,” Baumgartner said.

“It feels good to do this kind of thing,” Colon said, referring to both providing medical treatment and handing out gifts to kids. “You can see the people really appreciate it.”

(Editor’s note: Spc. Ben Brody serves with 2nd Brigade Combat Team PAO)


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