Kyrgyz Presidential medical team receives trauma training from U.S. Published Dec. 17, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Buzanowski 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan -- Americans called it an honor to provide trauma training to the country's presidential health care professionals assigned to the Kyrgyzstan National Security Team. The four training days of triage and trauma in November culminated with a lecture from a mental health provider. "We all know that in the right situations stress is a very good thing," said Capt. Andrew Williams, Transit Center at Manas social worker, one of four Airmen who served as guest instructors. "You know this having gone through medical school. And, now serving your president - has its own inherent stress. You're trained to recognize the signs of stress from a traumatic event and if people are coping well or not. Those first responders serving outside the medical profession are those who are at the most risk for this type of stress - and they are going to turn to you." The Presidential medical team approached the U.S. Embassy asking for assistance to receive additional emergency medical training. The Embassy's medical staff of three then reached out to the Transit Center at Manas to help make it happen. "It was great to work with the Transit Center. We would not have been able to do this course without them," said Kyrgyzstan native Dr. Natalia Tsoy of the U.S. Embassy. "The participants were excited and we received excellent feedback - they would love to continue to work with us," said Dr. Tsoy as she motioned to the surrounding medical colleagues from both the U.S. Embassy and the Transit Center. The U.S. Embassy medical team was able to provide all the training the Presidential medical team had asked for, said Dr. Chinara Magazova, Kyrgyzstan native also of the U.S. Embassy. She said this was the first time the U.S. Embassy had been asked to help provide medical training. "They would have attended more training if they had more time. All of the training was at a high level and all the doctors were very interested." The Kyrgyz Presidential medical team members included general practice, specialists and surgeons as well as nurses. Maj. Eric Gonzales, Transit Center anesthetist, said he was pleased to be part of the training team. "I'm glad to be a part of something that's bigger than me." He said the medical professionals of Kyrgyzstan are extremely well trained and skilled - but they don't always have the best of medical tools or equipment to use. "You really have to rely on your intuition and training. I could have a machine that's telling me one thing, but the patient's symptoms are saying another. That's what they utilize here - their skills and intuition." Vicki Burnham, the U.S. Embassy medical attaché, said that medical providers are the same all over the world. "We want to better our public health and we want wellness for our people." She stressed the importance of continual medical training and said she was pleased the Regional Medical Officer for the Central Asia U.S. Embassies, Dr. Chayan Dey, was able to come teach Advanced Cardiac Life Support training. Doctors Magazova and Tsoy translated briefings and interpreted the medical lectures and training and all of the experiences the Transit Center instructors and the President medical team were sharing back and forth. "We wouldn't have been able to do it without them," said Dr. (Capt.) Lance Black, Transit Center at Manas. "I love hands-on training. I wanted them to feel more comfortable with emergency response - that was our goal." During Doctor Black's deployment he also participated in other medical lectures and training, but this course was unique. "Just the reputation of who these medical providers are makes the experience even cooler."