Saving Lives in Africa: Getting Department of Defense Personnel Timely Medical Care
Abstract
United States Department of Defense (DOD) personnel serving on the African continent are at risk due to the lack of appropriate medical specialty care. Personnel are located at numerous austere locations over vast distances where the DOD does not have the resources to establish comprehensive medical capabilities in all of these areas. Additionally, host nation medical facilities are virtually non-existent or do not meet Western standards of care where they are available. As a result, the current solution to get DOD personnel appropriate medical or specialty care is to medically evacuate them with an air ambulance. The process in utilizing an air ambulance is timely as well, adding to the delay in getting medical treatment. This paper will utilize the problem/solution framework to find solutions to decrease the delay it takes to get DOD personnel appropriate medical treatment. The goal is to reduce the delay in care caused by the current system by getting patients to treatment sooner, thus reducing the risk of adverse effects from the delay. The DOD can reduce this delay in care by improving the aeromedical evacuation process, utilizing civilian aircraft and medical teams organic to the continent, working with coalition partners to utilize existing military facilities and aeromedical capabilities, adding more U.S. medical assets, and assisting coalition partners in upgrading existing medical facilities to meet acceptable medical standards in strategic locations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1053920
Entities
People
- Jason D Carter
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College