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Panjshir PRT treats patients, prepares remote Afghans for winter

Twenty-four ISAF Soldiers, including members of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team, 405th Civil Affairs Battalion and Task Force Tiger, traveled four hours to the northernmost district here to assist the province’s most impoverished population, Oct. 28.

A cooperative Medical Civic Action Program, or MEDCAP team, visited the Paryan District Basic Health Clinic at the invitation of Panjshir Director of Health Dr. Ghellani Saadat.

Afghan National Police assisted the team with security to ensure a smooth and incident-free mission.

“This was our fourth medical mission to Paryan since June,” said Air Force Reserve Maj. Kurt Workmaster, Panjshir PRT physician assistant. “This latest MEDCAP was needed before the onset of winter.”

The Paryan Basic Health Clinic does not have a physician on staff to meet the needs of the district’s 38,000 residents. In all, 421 patients were seen by Maj. Workmaster and three Air Force medical technicians.

“We set up two provider stations and a pharmacy station to lessen the wait time for patients,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Charles Campbell, non commissioned officer in charge of medics.

Air Force Senior Airman Melanie Weaver, Bagram PRT medic, volunteered for the mission to help meet the needs of female patients.

“We had one station for male patients and their children and a second station for female patients and the children they brought in,” she said.

Non-medical team members stayed busy coordinating the delivery of rice, beans, cooking oil, salt, tea, powdered milk and school supplies, as well as assessing the construction of the district government center and surveying a landing zone for helicopters.

At nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, Paryan has the highest elevation of the six districts in the Panjshir Valley. Since the rough and narrow road to the district cannot support truck transport, helicopter airlift of the HA supplies was necessary.

“We sent up two loads of humanitarian assistance supplies totaling 8,000 pounds to help the residents of Paryan get through the winter,” said Army 1st Lt. Sarah Rosnick, Panjshir PRT operations officer.

The team plans to do at least one more HA drop before winter.

“I’m very proud of our PRT,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Neal Kringel, Panjshir PRT commander. “In one day we simultaneously conducted three very challenging operations that not only showed our resolve to help the people of Paryan, but also collectively highlighted the dedication, professionalism and skill of our individual members.”