Posted on 01/20/2003 5:03:05 AM PST by snippy_about_it
Hiya Ms TEXOKIE! Great to see ya :)
Staff Sgt. Ken Deveaney, medical maintenance noncommissioned officer in charge for the 48th Combat Support Hospital, deployed from Fort Meade, Md., examines a part from an oxygen generator that broke down. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Debralee P. Crankshaw
Medical Repairmen Help Save Lives
By Army Pfc. Debralee P. Crankshaw
11th Public Affairs Detachment
BAGRAM, Afghanistan The medical equipment that saves lives is not simple equipment. The Combat Support Hospital here has a biomedical repair team to keep the equipment in working condition.
These repairmen maintain medical equipment, perform preventive maintenance, check calibrations and make repairs. They also assist in renovations of the hospital. In addition, they research and suggest equipment the hospital needs.
Our workload varies, some days we repair eight to 10 units, other days, its simple fixes so we can repair 15 to 20 units, said Staff Sgt. Ken Deveaney, medical maintenance non-commissioned officer in charge, 48th Combat Support Hospital, from Fort Meade, Md.
Some repairs can take five minutes while others can take three days, he added.
Repairs usually only take three days or less because the manufacturer designs the equipment that way.
Most equipment has an easier repair fix in the field. The more complicated the equipment, the more problems you are going to have, so the manufacturers try to keep it as simple as possible, said Deveaney.
Medical field equipment is not only made to be easier to repair, but also breaks down less.
The equipment might not be as high speed as in the rear, but its a lot more durable, said Sgt. Valdez Johnny Bravo, another medical equipment repairman with the 48th.
While deployed, the team takes on more tasks than they would in a regular hospital.
In a combat environment, our whole realm of repair is expanded. In a normal hospital, we repair strictly the equipment that takes care of patients - here it can jump to anything, said Deveaney.
Bravo agrees.
There are some things that fall into a gray area - sewage lines, washing machines and water pumps - and people come running to us to fix them, because they know we are electronically inclined. Ive even fixed a couple of PlayStations and microwaves, said Bravo. Were the hospital handymen.
The biomeds do have problems here they wouldnt have in the United States.
The hardest part about being here is ordering parts. If you order a part in the states - depending on the priority - you get it one to three days later. Here, depending on the part, its one to three weeks, if not later, said Bravo.
You take a lot for granted in the States. Here, if you need a screw, you are running all over base trying to find someone who has one. We have a very limited supply, he added.
There may be problems the biomeds deal with, but they keep the hospital running.
If there were no biomeds, it would really cut down on the care the hospital could give to the patients coming in. If they lost an X-Ray, it would just be plain guesswork, theyd inject solutions with a syringe and without the oxygen generation system surgical patients wouldnt be treated, said Deveaney. Its a good feeling knowing the equipment we repair is saving lives.
ABOARD USS TARAWA -- After slowly approaching the flight deck in a hover, the pilot prepares to land the AV-8B Harrier Jet on the Tarawa's flight deck.
ABOARD USS TARAWA -- Two AV-8B Harrier jets of VMA-311 screamed by the USS Tarawa (LHA-1) in a tight formation prior to setting up for a vertical landing on the Tarawa's flight deck. Six AV-8B Harriers are scheduled to participate in the two-week COMPTUEX.
ABOARD USS TARAWA -- After a short flight from the coast of California, one of the 15th MEU's six AV-8B Harrier Jets makes its way to the flight deck of the Tarawa. The jets will be available for close air support missions throughout COMPTUEX.
ABOARD USS TARAWA -- Marines and Sailors of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and USS Tarawa ARG quickly guide a AV-8B Harrier Jump Jet to its proper post flight location on the flight deck here supporting the 15th MEU's pre-deployment ComptuEx training, Oct. 24, 2002.
![]() Franaz, 10, bottom, looks back as she and her friend Tamana, 9, swing in the new playground during the re-opening of the refurbished Khar Khana Kindergarten, Monday, Jan. 20, 2003, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Franaz said, 'We are very happy to have this playground and we can play as much as we want.' The school and playground were refurbished by the British contingent of the International Security Assistance Force. (AP Photo/Suzanne Plunkett) ![]() Left to right, Nazi, Shadaba and Eqlima wait to go outside and play during an indoor ceremony officially opening the newly installed playground and the re-opening of the refurbished Khar Khana Kindergarten, Monday, Jan. 20, 2003, in Kabul, Afghanistan ![]() Sadya, 7, center, and her classmates sing a traditional Afghan folk song to celebrate the official opening of the new playground and the re-opening of the refurbished Khar Khana Kindergarten, Monday, Jan. 20, 2003, in Kabul, Afghanistan ![]() Sadya, 7, left, and Faroza, 7, hold their new dolls as they swing in the new playground at the re-opening of the refurbished Khar Khana Kindergarten, Monday, Jan. 20, 2003, in Kabul, Afghanistan
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