Marines lend a helping hand with MEDCAP to bring aid to Senegalese village 

 “Quick – get him inside, he’s bleeding!”  With those words, an elderly Senegalese man, standing quietly amongst a pressing throng of villagers, was hurriedly ushered inside the makeshift medical compound.  He sat patiently while the large cut above his eye was skillfully cleaned, sutured, and covered with a bandage.

Work started immediately for members of the Medical Civil Assistance Program, Africa Partnership Station 10 and Marines with the Security Cooperation Marine Air Ground Task Force, APS-10, as they arrived at the village in the early morning to offer medical assistance, April 19. 

MEDCAP personnel have been working in the village since April 15.  The 16-member team of U.S. military medical and dental professionals, comprised of physicians, family practitioners, cardiologists, optometrists, dentists, dental assistants, and general duty corpsmen, have treated countless patients over the past four days.

“Here, they’re practicing a different type of medicine than they ever have before,” said LCDR Karen Corson, medical liaison for APS-10.  “Due to the fact that we are only here a couple of days, everything we do here is short-term treatment.”

Marines with the SCMAGTF have been participating in military-to-military familiarization events with the Senegalese Armed Forces in the nearby city of Thies over the past three weeks, but have been sending teams of Marines to help with the MEDCAP missions.

“We helped with crowd control,” said Cpl. Kenneth Magobet, a fireteam leader with the SCMAGTF.  “It was a good change of pace from being on the range or teaching infantry classes.”

Marines stood guard at the gate of the makeshift medical compound, allowing villagers who had a paper ticket inside on an individual basis according to how fast they could be seen by the physicians and dentists. 

 “There was one baby that really touched my heart,” said Magobet.  “She had scabies all over her face, and her mom didn’t have a paper ticket to get inside.  I was able to talk to the doctors and get her inside to get treated.  That really meant a lot to me.”

 The assistance provided by the Marines and MEDCAP personnel goes far beyond providing relief for just their bodily ailments.  The display of compassion and care has also touched the lives of the people they treat. 

“I’ve been doing this since 2001,” said Corson.  “I didn’t realize what an impact I was having on people’s lives until one day I had an African gentleman come up and tell me he remembered me from a previous mission I’d been on.  He told me, ‘Because of you, I am a part of the medical community now.  We saw the United States truly cared about us.’  It was a very humbling thing to hear from someone.”

After treating all the patients they could for the day, the Marines and MEDCAP personnel packed up their medical equipment and prepared to leave the village.  Even though they were only in the area for four days, they made a profound difference in the lives of the Senegalese.

“You have to ask yourself, ‘What can I do for them today,’” said Corson.  “We provide a lot of moral support.  That’s where we make our mark.”