SATTAHIP, Thailand -- Thai military and civilian personnel joined Pacific Partnership 2019 (PP19) for a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief knowledge exchange during PP19’s final stop in Sattahip, May 20.

During the seminar, medical professionals from partner nations focused on different issues affecting health and wellness in the region during a disaster.

“When you have these engagements and conversations, what you’re trying to do is identify your individual gaps,” said Dr. Michael Owens, emergency physician assigned to PP19. “Through these collaborative efforts, programs can be developed to address those gaps.”

Lectures concentrated on emergency medicine, surgeries, geriatric care and veterinary services. Experts in each category from Thailand and their counterparts from partner nations shared knowledge to strengthen response capacities.

“Our hospital and staff were excited and honored to be able to host this medical symposium over the past week,” said Lt. Cmdr. Sompradthana Kampongsri, a family medical physician from Queen Sirikit Hospital. “We felt that both our staff and Pacific Partnership 2019 participants learned and benefited greatly from this event and hope that we can use this to build upon in future collaborations.”

Pacific Partnership, now in its 14th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year, the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase stability and security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships across the Indo-Pacific.