 |
(Left to right) Lt. Gen. Pravit Tanprasert, Royal Thai Army (RTA); Lt. Gen. Choochat Kambhu Na Ayudhya, RTA; their wives, Mrs. Khunying Vilavan Kambhu Na Ayudhya and Dr. Kunnikar Tanprasert; and Lt. Gen. James B. Peake, U.S. Army (USA), at the APMMC banquet.
Photo by Lt. Col. Faith Ann Frank, USAR |
|
|
|
The Honorable Darryl N. Johnson, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, agreed. In a speech he gave at the formal banquet, he spoke of medicine’s noble quality and the sacrifices military providers willingly make.
Lt. Gen. Suprija Mokhavesa, retired Surgeon General of the RTA, captivated the audience in his address. He recalled the RTA’s medical “history with passion and proud remembrances” to remind all what “our brothers in the armed forces medical departments have been performing willingly and diligently for over 100 years.” He pointed out that, “Our job is never limited to the armed forces, but rather to the people of our country, our society. Most recently, our job description has widened to include humanitarian and peacekeeping missions in post-conflict countries such as East Timor, Indonesia, and Afghanistan.”
|
Presenters came with hard data, tools, and instructions on how to use them. “The [participants] are . . . . asking very good questions,” said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Joseph S. Pina, USA, Chief of Pulmonary Service at TAMC.
The unique subset of medicine called “military medicine” serves to identify regional and global health risks and helps find solutions. “There’s nothing as global as disease,” commented Group Captain Mandeep Singh of India.
Col. Surya Kumar, Chief Army Medical Officer and senior delegate from Singapore, pointed out that global health menaces such as SARS are “not a matter for the medical community to handle, but for the national administration to address . . . . to integrate various agencies to maximize benefits and minimize duplication of effort.”
|
 |
Seated L to R: Mr. Paul A. Frank and Lt. Col. Faith Ann Frank (author). Standing L to R: Lt. Sulisa Hongthong , RTA; Capt. Sasiporn Srabua, RTA; and Maj. Renu Wayuheuad, RTA.
Photo by Lt. Col. Bunlue Kamalatilaka, Royal Thai Army |
|
|
During a press conference, Lt. Gen. Choochat announced his ongoing plan of support and commitment to the health and well being of Thailand, its people, and its neighbors. He outlined the RTA Medical Department’s collaboration with the Thai Ministry of Health to safeguard against SARS. He noted the RTA Medical Department’s commitment to a program that will prevent drug use, rehabilitate users, and eradicate illicit drug use by the end of this calendar year, as mandated by Thailand’s National Drug policy.
“Trauma is a global problem,” said Lt. Col. Suzan Denny, USA, Director of Surgical Nursing, TAMC. She spoke about the Life Support Trauma and Transport (LSTAT) platform and its role in combat and emergency and disaster responses. Used for the care of unstable and potentially unstable patients, LSTAT can mitigate the shortage of intensive care capacity on land, sea, and in the air.
Global health risks include HIV and AIDS. Wherever it reaches, HIV and AIDS dramatically shorten life and human potential . . . a deadly combination of factors that can lead to civil unrest that threatens regional security, said Dr. Stuart Kingma, an expert on HIV and AIDS and a member of the Civil-Military Alliance to Combat HIV and AIDS in Rolle, Switzerland. The good news is that HIV prevention programs for militaries and other uniformed services can confront this problem.
“We’re finally talking about the political, security, and economic implications of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and how it destabilizes governments. It hit home with me and with many other delegates with whom I have spoken,” said Thomas F. Ditzler, Ph.D., Director of Research, Department of Psychiatry at TAMC.
|
 |
(Left to right) Col. Benjamin W. Berg, USA; Spec. Col. Suwicha Chitpatima, RTA; Lt. Gen. ( Ret.) Suprija Mokhavesa, RTA; Mrs. Suprija Mokhavesa; Lt. Gen. James B. Peake, USA; Mrs. Suwicha Chitpatima; Lt. Col. Michael D. Lewis, USA; Col. Dale S. Vincent, USA; Col. Carl Mason, USA; and Dr. Montip Gettayacamin (U.S.).
Photo by Lt. Col. Bunlue Kamalatilaka, Royal Thai Army |
|
|
