Airmen deliver medical supplies to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
 By Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss , 376th Air Expeditionary Wing
  
 MANAS, Kyrgyzstan (April 16, 2010) — Airmen  delivered medical supplies and food to two Bishkek hospitals April 15,  2010, and visited with patients who were injured last week in  Kyrgyzstan.  This is a continuation of efforts started just a couple of days ago when  16,000lbs - approximately $82,000 worth - of supplies including  bandages, sutures, antibiotics, and antiseptics, were delivered to the  Transit Center at Manas from the U.S. Army Medical Material Center,  Southwest Asia. A total of four hospitals were helped with these  supplies. "Last week...Kyrgyz citizens, the majority of them young people,  suffered serious injuries, mostly gunshot wounds," said Col. Jerry  Flyer, Deputy Director for Medical Services at the Transit Center at  Manas, who is also a surgeon. "During this time, Kyrgyz surgical and  medical colleagues worked heroically around the clock to operate and  save hundreds. What they accomplished was nothing less than incredible  considering the lack of equipment and supplies they had to work with. In  donating these supplies, we are helping to replenish what they have  used and provide them the means to continue ongoing care of these  patients."  Humanitarian assistance, one of the four mission sets of the Transit  Center at Manas, has always been a priority for American Airmen, and  when hospitals downtown expressed a need, service members here were  happy to help. Within hours, coordination was in the works, and within  just a couple days the Air Force personnel were delivering the necessary  supplies. "We've been cooperating with the Medical Group at the Transit Center at  Manas very closely," said Professor Sabyrbek Djumadekov, the Chief  Director of the Center for Traumatology. "This is not their first time  assisting us. They've been helping us regularly. Thank you very much for  all assistance rendered by the Transit Center and the United States to  us. That will help a lot." Colonel Flyer said, "We are also hoping to assist those heroic  physicians and surgeons who are caring for these injured patriots. There  is nothing more frustrating than knowing what you need to do to help  someone and not have the means to do so. We hope to mitigate that as  best we can." From a medical standpoint, Colonel Flyers said, "we are all providers of  care, and the most important thing to us is to take great care of our  patients and restore them to health." This is universal, no matter where in the world one practices medicine,  he said.  "From a country and Transit Center standpoint, we live here side by side  with our Kyrgyz neighbors, together fighting terrorism," the U.S.  colonel said. "While we are engaged in this important work, we want to  also be good neighbors. The Kyrgyz nation just went through a difficult  time and we want them to know that they have our condolences for their  losses and that we will do what we can to support them through this  difficult time. That's what friends and neighbors do." "On the one hand, it makes me feel good that we are able to harness our  resources to assist our Kyrgyz medical colleagues, many of whom I know  personally, in this time of need," Colonel Flyer said. "On the other  hand, it is a little frustrating because I want to do more and wish  there was more I could have done personally while they were operating  for 48-72 hours straight on all of these injured people." The medical staff, administrators, and patients all appeared genuinely  grateful for our help and concern, according to the Air Force surgeon. "Thanks a lot for providing HA to the National Hospital," said Deputy  Minister of Health, Mr. Madamim Karataev. "You've been regularly  delivering medical supplies and food to the patients of this hospital,  which is very helpful for us. And we've been facing a lot of  difficulties right now. On behalf of the patients, doctors, and Kyrgyz  people, we thank the Transit Center at Manas, the U.S. Embassy which is  going to render some more assistance to the hospital tomorrow, and the  people of the United States of America for helping us to overcome these  hard days for Kyrgyzstan."