CDR Izune Hwang, a family-practice physician from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evaluates patients at Escuela El Higueral, in the Republic of Guatemala, as part of Operation Continuing Promise, the deployment of the USS Boxer to the west coast of Central America. The small community, the economy of which revolves around sugar cane, has not had access to a health-care provider in over 10 years.
The Boxer’s environmental-health team conducted 12 different assessments around Escuintla. They visited a community well, two different dumps, as well as an industrial-waste dump at the mouth of a local river.
The Boxer veterinary team returned to the same dairy farms through the period, and provided services to 238 cattle, most of which included deworming and vaccinations. They also saw some stunted calves, and were able to give Vitamin A and selenium to them. At the farms, the team provided safety and sanitation information to the farmers, as well as to animal technicians and veterinary students. The Boxer’s education team taught 80 midwifes basic cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, and conducted classes on hand-washing, universal precautions and neonatal resuscitation. They also taught dental health for approximately 300 people.
