A report on another medical supply delivery to the Balad General Hospital.

Balad, Iraq – On Friday, September 17th, soldiers from Task Force 1-77 visited the Balad General Hospital. But on this day the soldiers did not go seeking medical assistance. They brought with them a Humvee’s worth of medical supplies that were donated to the hospital. The supplies, which included syringes, bandages, IV bags, IV fluids, and tubing, were provided by the TF 1-77 Medical Platoon.

Specialist George Shreffler, a medic from the TF 1-77 Medical Platoon, spoke with Doctor Omar Al-Khattab, the senior doctor present at the hospital, and described the nature of the supplies being provided. Dr. Omar was very happy, and thanked the soldiers for their generosity. “We are very thankful for the continued support of the Coalition Forces,” he stated. “These items help us to do a better job for the Iraqi people who come to the hospital.” Specialist Shreffler said he was happy to be able to help the doctors and nurses at the hospital. He said, “the medics really enjoy being able to help the hospital in any way we can. We understand how hard it is for them to provide quality medical treatment without having the proper resources. We hope to be able to provide more supplies in the near future.”

This mission was another in Task Force 1-77’s ongoing OPERATION TIGER CARE. TIGER CARE is an area wide effort to provide medical supplies, equipment, and improved medical facilities throughout the Task Force sector. To date the Task Force, known as the “Steel Tigers,” have sponsored the renovation of the Isahki Health Clinic, which opened in July and treats an average of nearly 100 people per day, as well as conducting medical supply drops similar to this one in Yethrib, Isahki, and a previous one at the Balad General Hospital. TIGER CARE has been extremely successful, with the medical professionals in each city greatly appreciative of the help. The center piece of TIGER CARE is a planned emergency room for the Balad General Hospital, the only hospital in the “Steel Tigers” sector. This $227,000 project has yet to be funded, but its construction would provide the area with much needed emergency medical treatment facilities.

Missions such as today’s medical supply drop, OPERATION TIGER CARE, and OPERATION TIGER CUB – the Task Force’s efforts to improve the area education system, have been very successful, and have gone a long way towards improving the relationship between the Iraqi people and the Coalition Forces, and to improve the standard of living in the area. The Task Force has been able to conduct these operations through the continued donations from families and organizations in the United States and Germany.