Southwest Asia --
It’s an everyday routine for Airmen and other base personnel
to pour into the dining facility for their daily intake of breakfast, lunch and
dinner.
Most patrons express their apprehension about the flavor of
the food, yet they take for granted whether it is safe to eat and how it could
affect them if it wasn’t.
In a facility where thousands of people come and go daily, germs
and other bacteria could be a potential threat to their wellbeing.
So who regulates places like this to safeguard people from
would-be microbiological threats?
Here, the public health team is the lead agency responsible
for assessing dining facility conditions and also ensuring food is properly stored
and handled.
Their core objective is to keep the base populace
able-bodied so they can continue to carry out the mission.
According to Staff Sgt. Demetrius, public health
technician, they inspect highly utilized facilities, like dining areas, at
least twice a month.
“We want to ensure people have a sanitary place to eat, that
food is kept at the required temperature and managed correctly,” he said.
In an article from the National Center for
Biotechnology Information website, the author notes if food isn’t properly
stored it can become spoiled with germs causing stomach aches, diarrhea, vomiting or
fever. In some cases germs could potentially cause more serious problems such
as kidney failure, blood infection and even paralysis.
The dining facilities are a focal point for Public Health
but their responsibilities extend past those areas. Demetrius said they also inspect
various public facilities such as the latrines for health vulnerabilities.
“We make sure everything is sanitized properly, that
cleaning crews are using appropriate strength disinfectants and simple
necessities like hot water and soap are available,” he said.
From the moment new rotations arrive at the base, public
health establishes a standard for personnel to follow, ensuring they maintain a
healthy state.
Each new member receives a hygiene refresher, which
encourages basic preventative practices to help mitigate health hazards.
“When members first arrive we want to give them quick
synopsis of what they need to look out for,” said Demetrius. “We go over
fundamental habits like washing your hands, using bug repellent and sunblock to
help reduce being exposed to local threats.”
Master Sgt. Kristie, preventive medicine chief, said the
task for health specialists here shifts from Force Health Management and
Occupational Health to Community Health and Preventative Medicine.
She pointed out that Force Health Management and
Occupational Health focus more on physical health assessments as well as
individual medical readiness while the latter is centered on improving the
health status for a particular group.
“We’re are postured in a manner to protect the health of our deployed
population by ensuring the food facilities are safe, that any increases in
illnesses are investigated immediately and by educating our population,” said
Kristie. “Public Health's mission involves a lot of education. Knowledge is
power and we love to empower our population.”
Demetrius said the public health mission is sometimes
overlooked and it’s usually when an epidemic, small or big, happens people
realize their worth.
During his time here he said they’ve been fortunate not have
any serious issues but they remain vigilant in the event their services are
required.
(Editor’s note: Due to safety and security reasons,
last names and unit designators were removed.)