Zamperini is a qualified surgeon and works as the NATO forces lead practitioner on FOB Lightning. She also advises the Afghan hospital commander, Brig. Gen. Asif Bromand, and the head-surgeon, Col. Ackbari, of the Paktya Regional Hospital that is adjacent to FOB Lightning. This hospital accepts civilian, military and police patients The hospital is equipped with facilities for surgery, X-ray, dental, optical, sonogram and more.
"Brig. Gen Bromand has made outstanding advancements in his hospital," said Zamperini. "Bromand has made this hospital one the best hospitals in the entire country."
The hospital still relies on U.S. forces for air medical evacuations, Bromand said. The Afghan National Army uses ambulances to evacuate patients on the ground. The Afghans are working on developing an air evacuation process with helicopters that they already own and that is significant because the hospital is located hundreds of miles away from the populated regions of Kandahar and Kabul. The hard work by both Afghan and U.S. forces have contributed to the success of the Paktya Regional Hospital.
"The system isn't perfect but considering what they came from, this is incredible," said Zamperini. "As U.S. forces retrogrades the hospital will continue to improve."
Social Sharing