A US military medical mission in Darien

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They brought a well-stocked pharmacy to a place where medicines are in short supply

US military medical mission in Darien
photos by Eric Jackson

A US military medical team, mostly an Army Reserve unit from Sacramento, California but with people from other Army units, the US Navy and Department of Defense civilians, teamed up with Panamanian health care professionals for a health care mission to several places in Darien province. This reporter visited them in Yaviza on August 17.

Traditionally National Guard and Reserve units do these overseas humanitarian missions in large part as training exercises. But today's military forces are quite busy, including this unit's previous deployment in Afghanistan and various missions elsewhere. Although they did see some skin maladies and parasites that they wouldn't encounter in the USA, Dr. Malcolm Carpenter, an emergency room specialist in civilian life, said the main point is humanitarian assistance and the most important secondary benefit is strengthening the friendship between Panama and the United States.

Also present was US Ambassador Barbara J. Stephenson, who called the joint US-Panamanian effort "an important opportunity to improve the health of this region." She recounted the beginnings of US military medicine in Panama, when Dr. Gorgas led the battle for sanitation and against mosquito-borne diseases both in the former Canal Zone and in the adjacent cities of Panama and Colon. "In those times, Darien was beyond the reach of those efforts, but now the Panamanian government has built roads."

There were childhood innoculations, treatments for worms and other parasites, pap smears for women, dentistry, education about sexually transmitted diseases, evaluations of orthopedic problems, and other health services offered at the Centro Educativo Jose del C. Mejia that day. Also along for the mission, but not working at the school that day, were military veterinarians.

This yellow-beige substance is to rid the body of worms and
is dispensed orally with a syringe. So do kids panic and think
that they are about to get a large injection? To avoid just that,
the nurse gives the parent the first dose while the kid watches.

A brief power outage didn't stop the dental team.

He's mighty displeased about that shot he just received.

A soldier poses with two young congo dancers and the two countries' flags.

There were interpreters, including a group of local VFW women, to help out.

Ambassador Stephenson (the blonde) talks with an orthopedist who was screening
patients for referrals to hospitals in other parts of the country that have the specialists
and equipment needed to care for those whose needs can't be met at local facilities.

Local residents line up to be seen.

A Darien physician who got reinforcements on this day.

Hmmm --- chagas? beri beri? yaws? the brain fever?
Most likely this little boy had none of these things.

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