Military
doctors, nurses and medics from five countries came together to deliver general
healthcare, optometry and dental services to a small suburb of Ulaanbaatar from
August 6-9, while participating in Khaan Quest 2011, a U.S. Marine led exercise
designed to strengthen the interoperability of U.S., Mongolian and other
participating nations’ forces in humanitarian civil action projects and
multinational joint peace keeping missions around the world.

The temporary
clinic held inside the Buynt Ukhaa Complex, averaged at least 900 patients each
day. “Access to care and education to care is sometimes different outside of
the United States,” said a U.S. medic. “We’ve been seeing people that might not
have had access to pediatric care or gynecology or ultrasounds technology”

The U.S. 3rd
Marine Expeditionary Force took this medical outreach to another level. They
did not just help, but taught and exchanged techniques so that the Mongolian
healthcare system improves as well. “The service that we are providing right
now will only benefit the community for a short time. We’re also providing
training in areas that will endure and last long after we’re gone,” said
another.

The exchange
in information was in trauma care, combat injures and in some cases new
equipment was introduced to some of the Mongolian doctors. “I had the
opportunity to use a tonometer, which measures the ocular pressure of the eye,”
said Mongolian ophthalmologist M. Naasantser. “We don’t use this kind of new
equipment here at our hospital, but I can see the benefits if we had it at our
disposal.”

Many of the
translators at the clinic are doctors themselves, which makes it easy when
medical terms need to be explained to the patient. The doctors were thrilled to
be part of such a great exercise. “It’s been an honor to work as a team with
the MAF and U.S. doctors,” added Ms. Naasantser. “We’re learning from each
other.”

The medical
portion of Khaan Quest has participants from Canada, the Republic of Korea,
India, the United States and Mongolia. It concluded on Thursday.