Security Assistance; and Logistics - Federation of American Scientists

civilian patients. U.S. military medical treatment facilities located in Iraq suppliedmedical and surgical care to Iraqi soldiers, police, and civilians for emergency conditions.That care often included inpatient hospitalization until the individual could be transferredto an Iraqi MoH civilian medical facility able to provide ongoing care. However, becauseof the lack of medical treatment and follow-up capacity within the MoH health caresystem, many of those individuals remained in U.S. military medical treatment facilitiesfor extended periods of time.In the near term, therefore, the Iraqi Army remains dependent on the U.S. and Coalitionforces for significant medical support for battlefield combat casualty care, casualtyevacuation, and some definitive treatment. Until the Iraqi Army achieves health caresustainability, U.S. forces will have to maintain its combat casualty care assistance tosupport the Iraqi Army.Lack of Integrated PlanningNo plans were in place to assist MoD in developing the Iraqi Army health care deliverysystem. Although some progress had been made in assisting MoD in the development ofmedical logistics, training, manning, facilities, and Surgeon General operations, neitherMNF-I nor MNSTC-I had prepared a comprehensive, synchronized, integrated, multiyearplan that was coordinated with MoD and that identified overall strategies, doctrines,or end-states to develop a sustainable Iraqi Army health care delivery system.Metrics for Iraqi Army Institutional CapabilitiesMNSTC-I had identified 10 institutional capabilities necessary to support Iraqi Armymedical operations and had developed metrics for each area. Those areas includedcommand and control, medical surveillance, medical personnel, recruiting forces,training, equipping, logistics, sustainment, pay and promote, and treatment.While progress had been identified in some of those areas, solutions for most areasdepended on MoD processes beyond the control of the Iraqi Army Surgeon General. Forexample, budget execution and contracting bottlenecks within MoD obstructed thepurchase of equipment and supplies, and the recruitment of medical personnel dependedon close collaboration with the MoH.Comprehensive PlanningWe believe that a comprehensive, synchronized, integrated, multi-year plan that identifiesoverall strategies, doctrines, and end-states to develop a sustainable Iraqi Army healthcare delivery system is urgently required. That plan should be prepared by MNF-I andMNSTC-I, coordinated and synchronized with MoD, and should support on-goingdevelopment of the Iraqi Army health care system to achieve a sustainable capability ofcare. U.S. military medical mentoring and advising teams that will supportimplementation of that development plan are discussed in Observation 20. Withoutcomprehensive planning, the development of a long-term sustainable Iraqi Army healthcare delivery system will be unable to move forward and dependence on U.S. forces willlinger.129