U.S. Air National Guardsmen Helping Hands at Armenian Medical Centers

YEREVAN — There are some extra helping hands at the Gavar and Hrazdan Medical Centers, as a group of U.S. medical professionals work side-by-side with their Armenian counterparts to save lives, ease pain, and treat illnesses.

About 40 U.S. military medical professionals (doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics, and medical technicians) from the Kansas Air National Guard 184th Medical Group, based out of McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, are in Armenian for a two-week humanitarian mission. Joined by 3 combat medics from the 6th Battalion RIFLES of the British Army, the medical experts are assisting the local staff at Gavar and Hrazdan Medical Centers by providing peer-to-peer mentoring and assistance.

“This program not only gives the hospitals the help of some talented medical experts to provide continued quality care, it also serves as a valuable training and experience for our U.S. and UK medical staff,” said U.S. Ambassador to Armenian Richard Mills, Jr. “The U.S. volunteers are gaining experience with conditions and ailments that may not be common in the U.S. And working with Armenian doctors and nurses, they gain a better understanding of working across cultures, a valuable skill for a unit that is ready to deploy worldwide on short notice.”

Along with offering helping hands and consultations, the joint US/UK team is providing professional training to the hospital staff on topics such as CPR, advanced cardiac life support, trauma treatment, burn treatment, and infection control procedures. They are also busy visiting children at local orphanages to offer nutrition guidance, dental care, and classes on healthy living.

This is the first mission of this type in Armenian and is made possible through the U.S. European Command Humanitarian and Civic Action Program and the Kansas-Armenian State Partnership Program.