SonoSite donates ultrasound system to Iraqi civilian hospital
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| Major Charles Buck (right), battalion surgeon for the 1-27 Infantry in Haweja, hands the SonoSite 180Plus handheld ultrasound system to Jazim Hamid, MD. |
In December, soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry delivered a shipment of donated supplies to a 100-bed civilian hospital in the town of Haweja, which is located 30 miles west of Kirkuk in North-Central Iraq. The shipment included a handheld ultrasound system from SonoSite (Bothell, Wash), pediatric and IV antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications, and orthopedic limb stabilizers. The hospital provides inpatient and outpatient services to more than 80,000 people in the area. Although the medical staff at the hospital is well trained, the hospital is in dire need of basic medical equipment and medicine.
"These gifts help to fill critical needs in equipment and supplies, and they put a caring, compassionate face to multinational forces in the area," said Major Charles Buck, battalion surgeon for the 1-27 Infantry in Haweja. "[The donated equipment] sends a strong message that we are here to help. This hospital previously had a single, outdated ultrasound machine for OB/Gyn use, leaving no ultrasound for emergency, surgical, or general imaging use. The hand-carried ultrasound system will make a world of difference in patient care at this general hospital turned trauma center."
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| The team images a patient. |
According to Hospital Administrator Jazim Hamid, MD, many surgical patients have been referred to other hospitals for care due to lack of imaging equipment at the Haweja facility, which operates at 100% capacity. With the equipment donations, surgeons at Hawejah Hospital will be able to use the SonoSite 180Plus system for imaging during surgery to better guide their decision-making process. "The SonoSite will be used for everything," he said. "We can easily carry the system to the patient's bedside to perform cardiology and OB/Gyn studies [as well as] quickly assess the injuries of trauma victims."
SonoSite originally developed the 180Plus system in 1999 through a joint venture with the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA of Washington). At 5.4 lbs, the ultrasound system is light enough to be carried to the patient at the point of care and rugged enough to tolerate harsh conditions. The US military uses the systems in field hospitals, forward surgical teams, and with special operations forces.
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