TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Additional medical personnel were deployed to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Thursday, fully staffing the team already located on the island to approximately 100 personnel, in continued support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's ongoing hurricane relief efforts.
Two C-130 aircraft delivered the 331st Expeditionary Medical Support team, re-designated from the 633rd Expeditionary Medical Support Team from Langley Air Force Base, Va., who are overseeing a 25-bed hospital with emergency room, inpatient and outpatient care, critical and surgical care, general family health care, pediatrics and OB-GYN services on the Northwest part of the island. The team contains a staff of doctors, surgeons, physician assistants, nurses and other medical personnel.
The 331st EMEDS is a rapidly deployable and modular capability tailored, replicated or combined to meet specific contingency medical needs for more than 300 patients a day. Their unique design allows the Air Force to deploy medical capabilities ranging from small teams to a large medical system that can provide specialized care to a community.
Since Oct. 13, expeditionary medical staff of approximately 50 personnel has been providing interim medical care.
The Department of Defense assists FEMA and the Puerto Rico Department of Health by temporarily establishing hospitals and clinics to alleviate overburdened hospital emergency departments.