ALBANY — Members of the Georgia National Guard have been deployed at two locations in Albany, 22 have been sent to Phoebe Putney hospital and five have been deployed at Pruitt Palmyra Nursing Home.
The two teams arrived March 26 and 27 and are comprised of twenty-two service members, one doctor, two physician’s assistants, four nurses, thirteen military medics, and a medical supply specialist. The Georgia National Guard also provided five ventilators for use at Phoebe Putney and has an additional five service members currently supporting Pruitt Palmyra Nursing Home in Albany.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has authorized the activation of up to 2,000 National Guard members to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Currently, 170 members of the guard are deployed.
“I am deeply grateful to the men and women of the Georgia National Guard fighting this pandemic,” Kemp said. “Working with GEMA, DPH, and our partners in the medical field, the Georgia National Guard is providing critical support in our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact on our state.”
These teams in Albany provide support to the professional medical staff at each facility in order to enable them to focus on critical life-saving requirements. The teams do not exist in the military. They are purpose built and have been deployed to the point of need in just over a week.
In addition to the two teams deployed to Albany, the Georgia National Guard generated twelve more teams for deployment across the state.
