In the last ten days, 3,600 residents in 5 villages in the Belize District received medical care and the best part is that it was free. It came courtesy the U.S. military and was part of their MEDRETE - or Medical Readiness Training Exercise. The villagers received general medical checkups, dental care, and eye care from 32 soldiers from Scots Airforce Base in Illinois. Commander of the exercise was Lieutenant Colonel Rick Feldmeier who says they delivered more than healthcare.
Lt. Col. Rick Feldmeier, U.S. Army
"This operation not only delivered healthcare to a whole lot of Belizeans but served to help us in our careers, in our training, to make us more proficient in what we do and I can say it was a huge success."
Keith Swift,
What services did you provide?
Lt. Col. Rick Feldmeier,
"General medicine, some women's health, optometry, pharmacy services, and dental services."
Keith Swift,
What were some of the more common ailments, if I could call it that, did people come here with?
Lt. Col. Rick Feldmeier,
"We saw a lot of folks with some fevers, some colds, some sinus infections, things like that. We saw a couple serious cases which were referred to the local nurses and physicians for their care."
Brig. Gen. Lloyd Gillett, BDF Commander
"This is the third MEDRETE for this year. One was done south, one was in Orange Walk, and this one is in Ladyville. I think that it is a wonderful humanitarian project that the BDF is proud to partner with the U.S. Armed Forces to execute. Healthy villages begot healthy districts, healthy districts begot healthy country and a healthy country is prosperous, safe, and secure."
MEDRETE is part of the 2007 new horizons exercise which concludes next month.
