PUERTO SANTO TOMAS, Guatemala (NNS) -- A medical team comprised of joint forces and various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), currently embarked aboard the multipurpose amphibious ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), is managing a medical site at Puerto Barrios Elementary School in Guatemala Sept. 3-10.
Puerto Barrios residents line up behind gates surrounding the school to receive medical services that include surgical screening, optometry, adult and pediatric care, women's health education and dental services.
From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., translators and volunteers from the local communities assist and interpret for the medical team to screen patients and send them to be diagnosed and treated.
"The staff sees an average of 660 patients a day and fills about 200 prescriptions daily," said Cmdr. Cyrus Rad, site leader, Medical Site 1. "Many patients come in with multiple complaints and others with multiple diagnosis, they all are taken care of before they exit."
As word of free medical care spreads throughout the communities, hundreds of local Guatemalans continue to line up around the site and take advantage of the free medical care. Because of the large number of patients, it is a common occurrence for doctors, volunteers and translators to work through lunch breaks and maximize the number of locals treated.
"Each medical site has its purpose, but medical site one is the largest of the three sites with a one stop shop," said Hospitalman Dana Scott, Fleet Surgical Team 2, embarked on Iwo Jima. "It's busy because of its location in the center of the town."
Patients aren't the only ones who are benefiting from the experience. Service members and volunteers are able to pull away something more by helping those in need.
"I love helping in anyway possible, especially when it comes to the kids," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Carrie McKinley, from Iwo Jima. "I was able to interact with and keep a lot of the kids occupied while their parents were getting treated. It was an awesome experience."
Iwo Jima is currently anchored off the coast of Puerto Santo Thomass, Guatemala, and will continue to bring medical relief to a number of South and Central American countries as part of Continuing Promise 2010 (CP10).
CP10 is a humanitarian civic assistance mission, delivering medical, dental, veterinary, engineering, subject matter expert exchange and disaster response cooperation to host nations to include Haiti, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname and Guyana.
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