407th ECES expands clinic in Iraq

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Paul Dean
  • 407th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
ALI BASE, Iraq (USAFENS) --  Fifteen Airmen from several occupational specialties came together Sept. 19 to double the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron medical clinics’ work space at Ali Base.

Patients now have more privacy during screenings and treatment, there is a clinic waiting area and the 6-person clinic staff isn’t tripping over each other during sick call hours.

“It was a truly amazing effort,” said Lt. Col. Anthony Ghim, 777th EAS flight surgeon deployed from the 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. “Civil engineering carpenters, electricians, air conditioner technicians, heavy equipment operators and communications technicians all came together to make this happen.”

Before Sept. 29 the clinic was housed in one Expandable Storage Container with an adjacent ESC for supplies. The two are now attached with the original ESC being used as the administrative and waiting room area and the new ESC is dedicated to evaluation and treatment.

The expanded size of the clinic has improved the way service is given, said Senior Airman Dora Sherrill, 777th EAS clinic medical technician deployed from the 118th Medical Squadron, Tennessee Air National Guard, Nashville, Tenn.

Added privacy seems to be the most welcome feature of the expansion according to the clinic staff. The clinic treats a broad range of patients: male and female Airmen along with the Iraqi Air Force members who live, work and train at Ali Base.

“Iraqi’s are customarily perhaps a little more modest (than Americans),” Colonel Ghim said.

The expansion project involved the combined efforts of four groups within the civil engineer squadron: heavy equipment, structures, electrical and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Master Sgt. John Gaskill, 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron NCOIC of electrical systems also deployed from the 60th CES, coordinated and planned the civil engineer involvement in the project, which he said totaled about 100 man hours.

“We had a little pow-wow, made sure everybody knew their part and went to town,” Sergeant Gaskill said. “It’s really great what a bunch of CEs can get done. We’re just thrilled that we could be a part of making medical service better for everybody here.”

The clinic staff will soon be responsible for administering the post-deployment health assessment to redeploying Airmen and now has space to accommodate the five computers that will be used to take the online survey.