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Civic Action team renovates hospital ward

WENO, Chuuk (FSM Information Service): February 2000 - A small mountain of wrecked cars collected, a road paved using reconstituted asphalt, and hospital wards and governor's office renovated - must be the U.S. Civic Action Team at work.

Led by United States Air Force Captain David C. Piech of Chicago, Illinois, the CAT currently working in Chuuk State has completed most of these projects and will begin renovating the obstetrics and gynecological ward at the Chuuk State Hospital next week.

The hospital renovations done by CAT have been done to U.S. hospital specifications.

The next CAT, who arrives, March 31, will have a lot of hospital projects because Governor Ansito Walter has hospitals and schools high on his priority of projects, said Piech.

The mountain of junk cars were collected from roadsides and await dumping into the ocean, said Piech.

The 2.2 miles of road paving and drainage improvement from Meiwe Road to Epinup Road is made from reconstituted milled asphalt from the airport runway. It is an ongoing project only about one-fourth complete, said the Captain.

The CAT worked side by side with Chuuk's Public Works personnel teaching them how to reuse the asphalt so they can do it in the future, said Piech.

The Captain explained that the Governor prioritizes the projects, and the government pays for the material; the CAT, along with local trainees, perform the work.

"I have 15 local workers. They spend one year on our projects and must complete a training checklist. This brings them up to apprentice level in the fields of carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, heavy equipment or diesel mechanic operations, depending in which field they have been working," said Piech.

The Captain said that he and his team have only one regret - not enough time to keep working with the people.

Piech and his 12-member crew will depart April I after serving an eight month tour of duty.

The Captain will return to Elmendorf Air Force Base at Anchorage, Alaska, after briefing officials in Guam and Hawaii. The other members will return to their home bases.