On December 19 military personnel of the Lithuanian-led Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team conducted Medical Civil Affairs Patrol (MEDCAP) and visited orphanage of Chaghcharan, capital of the province. They completed medical check-up of children and personnel of the orphanage - around 150 people in total.
Lithuanian and Ukrainian military medics - general practitioners and odontologists - serving with the PRT and their colleagues from Chaghcharan Hospital carried out the check-up routine: examined patients, asked questions about the most common complaints, prescribed treatment, gave medicine.
According to Maj. Darius Užkuraits, Head of PRT-10 Medical Division, the most prominent part of children had symptoms of infectious deceases or cold, suffered pain of joints and other parts of body.
Odontologist examined nearly 40 patients and aided children suffering from dental pain. According to the PRT-10 military medics, provincial people lack knowledge of basic hygiene because of severe conditions of their living and are short of medical services which makes children face odontological problems at a very early age.
Local doctors working in Chaghcharan Hospital and representatives of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Social Affairs Department of Ghowr accompanied and assisted peacekeepers on the MEDCAP.
Personnel of the PRT-10 CIMIC Division brought gifts - warm gloves, toys and candy sent by pupils of „Romuva" secondary school (Šiauliai), shoes bought for the money donated by people of Lithuania.
Lithuanian-led PRT is actively engaged in the Medical Civil Affairs Program. PRT medics maintain cooperation with personnel of Chaghcharan Hospital, share experience, conduct consultations for locals at the hospital and go to patrols to the most remote locations of the province providing medical care for patients incapable of reaching healthcare facilities. Often that is the only medical care that inhabitants of remote regions receive.
Lithuanian-led PRT took up responsibility for security in Ghowr in summer 2005. PRT is a joint military-civilian mission operating under International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). PRT camp is based in the provincial capital Chaghcharan. The main task of the unit is to help Afghan central Government extend authority in the province, and to ensure security and environment suitable for provincial reconstruction.
Together with around 140 Lithuanian military and civilian personnel, representatives of Denmark, Croatia, Georgia, Ukraine, Japan, Romania and the USA provide security in Ghowr. Currently the tenth shift of peacekeepers (PRT-10) are deployed to the mission, personnel of the rotation are mainly volunteers of the 1st Territorial Unit of Dainava Military District of the National Defence Volunteer Force.
PIO for PRT-10 1st Lt. Skomantas Povilionis.
Pictures by WO Lina Ambroževičiūtė.
