The medical department in military operations other than war. Part II: Medical Civic Assistance Program in Southeast Asia.
It is a short trip by air from Bangkok, Thailand, to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, but a dramatic contrast. A Medical Civic Assistance Program (MEDCAP) visit was conducted in conjunction with Exercise Flash Canoe 97, the first U.S. Navy mission to Cambodia in more than 22 years. Nearly 3,000 patients were seen by the MEDCAP team members. Medical and dental care, medications, educational materials, and training were provided. The mission was an exceptional training opportunity for U.S. Medical Department personnel, who learned to function outside of the hospital and clinic environment and to deal with limited logistic backup, austere field conditions, a hostile environment, and an overwhelming number of patients, many of them with infectious diseases. Cambodia lacks public health infrastructure and has uncertain communications, difficult travel conditions, and an unstable political climate. Using the planning checklists described in Part I, the team completed the "in-country" part of the mission with minimal logistic and support problems, maximizing the effectiveness of the health care providers. The MEDCAP is an important instrument of U.S. foreign policy and friendship with other peoples.