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Flintlock 2010: Hundreds of Malians receive medical care

A U.S. Army medic assigned to Joint Special Operations Task Force-Trans Sahara explains the daily dosage recommendations of medication to a female villager from the Jiwoyo community as part of triage during a Medical Civil Action Program conducted during the Flintlock 10 exercise in Mali in May, 2010. U.S. Army health care providers assigned to JSOTF-TS gave free medical care and medicine to nearly 400 local residents in the area who suffer from inadequate and lack of medical care.

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Photo by: Master Sgt. Donald Sparks 

The shrieking screams of two-year-old Assitan Paco drew an instant reaction from the U.S. health care provider in her vicinity. Lying and rolling in seething pain, the toddler's screams intensified as her mother looked helplessly on.

The provider ran to the wailing girl, lifted her in his arms and raced her off to a physician to provide immediate first aid to her foot which was stung by a scorpion. This was just one of the many moments of medical care given to hundreds of African residents as part of a Medical Civil Action Program on May 13, 2010, conducted by doctors and medical specialists assigned to Joint Special Operations Task Force-Trans Sahara.

The event also included health care providers from the Malian Ministry of Health and Defense who treated nearly 700 local men, women and children at the Mali Army Noncommissioned Officers Academy outside the city of Segou. Braving searing heat conditions, patients lined up to receive free health education information, inoculations for disease and medical care for a variety of ailments.

According to a U.S. civil affairs officer, the event was held after coordinating with Malian government officials to identify a way to help the people throughout Mali who have limited or no access to medical care.

"We wanted their influence and we wanted them to decide the best locations to conduct the MEDCAP's to benefit the communities," the CAO said. "The Ministry of Health officials know most of the ailments that the people suffer, the size of the communities, and what specific needs that we could best provide."

Highlighted on the United Nations International Children's Fund's country health report, many of the principal diseases rampant in Mali include malaria, leprosy, tuberculosis, enteritis and other intestinal diseases, cholera, pneumonia, and infectious and parasite-related diseases. Many of the patients at the MEDCAP were suffering from dehydration, malnutrition and intestinal viruses.

After locally procuring the medications needed by the health care providers to treat the population, the Civil Affairs Team requested that host nation doctors be a part of the MEDCAP.

Although the number of private doctors and well-equipped medical care facilities are small, the Ministry of Health and the military was able to provide five Malian doctors to participate in the event.

"It's very important that we let this be a Malian-led event," the civil affairs officer said. "From a credibility standpoint, it shows the people that their government cares about their well-being. We're just here to provide assistance to that effort."

As part of the Flintlock 10 Special Operations Command Africa exercise, the civil affairs officer coordinated with special operations forces to identify the best sites to hold the MEDCAP. The SOF unit and Malian regional commander decided the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy was the best location.

From a military perspective, Malian Major Diallo Felix, chief of Echelon Tactics Anti-Army 6, lauded the MEDCAP as an opportunity to showcase the Army's genuine concern for the people they protect.

Flintlock 10 is a special operations forces exercise focused on military interoperability and capacity-building and is part of a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored annual exercise program with partner nations in northern and western Africa. The exercise, which includes participation of key European nations, is conducted by Special Operations Command Africa and designed to build relationships and develop capacity among security forces throughout the Trans-Saharan region of Africa.