More than Two Thousand Patients Treated During MEDCAPs

A JTF-B pharmacy specialist delivers medication to a girl in Guadalupe, San Vicente.

U.S. Southern Command provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).

U.S. Southern Command contributions began long before the emergency (with exercises and capacity building limited to disaster mitigation). After the storm hit on November 8, equipment and personnel were sent to help.

On November 12, four helicopters and Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-B) personnel arrived in El Salvador to help with the transportation of disaster relief supplies. Then, from November 19 through 22, a JTF-B medical team carried out medical brigades or MEDCAPs in which more than two thousand patients were treated. The MEDCAPs were held at Guadalupe, San Vicente; San Diego and Melara, La Libertad; San Emigdio, San Vicente, and Isletas and San Marcelino, La Paz.

JTF-B provided doctors, nurses and pharmacy specialists who worked side by side with Salvadoran army personnel and Ministry of Health doctors and psychologists.