U.S., Dutch militaries support Zimbabwean medical clinic

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Michael Battles
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  As part of an effort to provide medical aid to hundreds of Zimbabweans in Africa, members from the 39 Medical Group and Dutch military came together to salvage hundreds of useable medical supplies over the last seven months, here.

Given to Capt. Elaina Wild, former 39th Medical Operations Squadron family medicine physician, from the 1st Netherlands Ballistic Missile Defense Task Force in February 2015, the medical supplies were processed, packaged and shipped to The Way Clinic, a charity medical facility in Zimbabwe, Africa throughout June and July.

"Due to our sterility and supply policy, [the 39th Medical Group] couldn't take any of the supplies from the Dutch," said Wild. "However, I knew of a clinic in Zimbabwe which would greatly benefit from the supplies."

The Way Clinic is a free medical facility that provides care for the Bulawayo area of Zimbabwe. Operating out of the back of a church, the facility provides care to the homeless, impoverished and patients with HIV/AIDS.

According to Wild, the medical supplies were sent to Zimbabwe because there is a need for the supplies at the facility.

"[The clinic] is doing incredible work with very little support," Wild said. "The doctors and nurses in the local area volunteer their time every week, but it's a struggle to keep the clinic going. They are also so undersupplied that they are grateful for the supplies we were going to dispose of."

Wild, a native of Zimbabwe, has traveled to volunteer at The Way Clinic and other medical facilities in Zimbabwe for the last 14 years.  Wild stated she volunteers and gets involved in the African country, because it's a very sacred place for her.

"[Zimbabwe] is my country, my homeland," she said. "The [locals] give up their time and their finances sometimes to care for people who are very poor and destitute. I have witnessed the struggles of the patients and doctors who often do not have the luxury of something as simple as good wound dressing or a pediatric IV."

Among the items shipped to the clinic were casting supplies, wound dressings, IV needles and sutures.

"[As American service members] we are blessed people and it really becomes apparent when you get an assignment overseas," said Capt. Eric Young, 39th MDOS clinical nurse. "When the Dutch left they weren't able to take the items with them so they would have ended up in the trash. I care about people, as a nurse I want to make sure that people are getting what they need." 

Wild, who has had a permanent change of station since the donation, stated that even though she is gone, the project to provide supplies to the clinic will continue on.

"Capt. Young and the [Personnel Reliability Program] clinic have items they want to continue to send. Hopefully, the link between the clinic and The Way Clinic will continue with the help of outstanding Airmen like we have at Incirlik."