DISPATCHES FROM AFGHANISTAN
People in the war torn city of Kabul Afghanistan have few resources to turn to for medical care, and even simple pain relievers like headache medicine is very difficult for people to locate.
This story was originally published December 29th, 2006.
(KABUL, Afghanistan) - It may be deceiving at first glance, but the health of Afghan nationals will advance significantly today.
This woman and her child are shoeless on a freezing morning, several people that attended the MEDCAP mission suffered frostbite just getting thereA joint U.S./British medical assistance operation will treat nearly 400 people. For Oregon Guard Specialist Angel Morrow, it's better than treating people who were exploded by an IED.
"It takes a lot of planning; there's a lot of moving parts and different groups involved. Um, but once it all comes together, we all have different responsibilities, once those things come together and we all work together it ends up pretty well, and we get better each time we do it," says Specialist Angel Morrow of the Oregon Guard Combat Medic from Salem, Oregon.
"So it's nice to come out and give them some medication and help with their colds and whatever is going wrong with them," adds Combat Medic Sgt. Cynthia Follansbee of the Oregon Guard who is from Portland, Oregon.
The doctor asks a young woman, "And this injury here, what happened with this one?”
The young woman and many others, young and old have almost no health facilities here to turn to, what is available is expensive and far beyond their means.
Specialist Morrow says, “We're getting through quite a few people there are certain things we just can't treat, that makes us feel bad. We just can't help some of these people."
This small Afghan boy was carried in by his mother, who feared he was dying. In Afghanistan, one out of five kids won't reach the age of five, so opportunities like this are invaluable for the locals in places like Kabul"There's just, we just can't help some of these people.
They don't want to leave after you are done with them or that you can't do something for their condition. They don't understand, they think we have a magic pill cause we're Americans, and we don't."
Doctors from both countries looked after as many patients as possible.
Dr. Harry Ward advises another patient, "We need to investigate, we can't do that here. "
Doctors like Harry Ward of Los Angeles California, who says the most basic care on a regular basis would do wonders.
"Many of them be helped with just preventive care and regular care, and regular doctor medical care and definitely with a new health system here, I think this could be turned around."
They say Afghan men and children they show patience, they are handled separately from females, who all prefer to now show their faces to strangers, but women who struggle with their own health and the health of their children tend to be more aggressive.
"We're gonna get to a point where we have to cut them off. They come out of the woodwork,” says a frustrated Specialist Morrow.
"They, everybody's kid's the worst, they all want help, I can understand that, but it's tough," adds Oregon Guard Combat Medic Kristin Sloan.
People live short lives here, often dying from ailments that would easily be treatable in the United States. Here, Tylenol is a rare commodity All told, the Americans like Angel Morrow and their British counterparts saw 390 Afghan people on this day.
Young woman reveals the hidden beauty of AfghanistanWhen asked about the success of the day, Capt Gary Repp of the Oregon National Guard Security Force said, “It went pretty well, the women did get a little rowdy but the men stayed pretty disciplined.
"Of course the women are eager to get their children in and that's been part of the problem during the MedCaps, the women all want to get their children in."
More than 10 million children in Afghanistan have suffered under years of civil war and drought and now suffer under the repressive Taliban regime.
One in four Afghan children will not make it to their fifth birthday. One in three Afghan children is an orphan. Almost 1/2 of Afghan children suffer chronic malnutrition. Millions face the threat of starvation.
They try to hold these donation funded medical missions twice a month in regions around Kabul, and slowly but surely, give people here better health and better ideas on personal care.
In Afghanistan, Tim King, reporting for Salem-news.com
Watch the Streaming Video News Report below, direct from Kabul, Afghanistan by Tim King:
__________________________________ Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines.
Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Silver Spoke Award by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (2011), Excellence in Journalism Award by the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (2010), Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), First-place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Tim was a member of the National Press Photographer's Association for several years and is a current member of the Orange County Press Club.
Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. As News Editor, Tim among other things, is responsible for publishing the original content of 82 Salem-News.com writers. He reminds viewers that emails are easily missed and urges those trying to reach him, to please send a second email if the first goes unanswered. You can write to Tim at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com
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