toledoblade.com --

WASHINGTON - Less than a week after a Sylvania native serving in Iraq criticized the U.S. military's refusal to treat three severely burned Iraqi children, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) got assurances yesterday that the incident would be investigated.

Ohio Army National Guard Sgt. David Borell told several media outlets via e-mail that U.S. Army doctors had refused to help the children because their injuries were not "life threatening."

Miss Kaptur met yesterday with Dr. David Chu, the Defense Department's undersecretary for personnel and readiness, and Edward Wyatt, the department's deputy assistant secretary for health affairs.

She recommended to them that Sergeant Borell be promoted for heralding the incident.

She also asked that the Defense Department determine who the doctors were and under whose orders they were acting.

"One of the ways you [establish security] in the country is to make friends with the people," Miss Kaptur said after the 20-minute meeting. "One of the ways you do that is to provide health care."

Dr. Chu and Mr. Wyatt could not be reached for comment yesterday.

During the meeting, Dr. Chu said he had no specific information about Sergeant Borell's accusations, Miss Kaptur said.

Sergeant Borell, of the Toledo-based 323rd Military Police Company, complained that he tried to get medical help on June 13 for the three children - who he said had severe burns on their arms, legs, and faces. After having to send the family on its way without medical help, the 30-year-old sergeant broke down and was comforted by his platoon leader, Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Pacholski.

The scene was captured by an Associated Press photographer and the picture was printed the following day in The Blade and newspapers across the country. After seeing the photograph, Miss Kaptur pledged to speak with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Mr. Rumsfeld sent Dr. Chu and Mr. Wyatt in his place, Miss Kaptur said.

Miss Kaptur advocated yesterday a system of U.S.-operated field hospitals to provide health care for Iraqi citizens. She also offered to help mobilize communities in northwest Ohio, and specifically Toledo, to assist in providing both medical expertise and medical supplies.

"After 10 years of bombing and the embargo [U.N. sanctions], their hospitals are barren anyway," Miss Kaptur said. "So how can you depend on a civilian system that doesn't even exist? ... It is a very, very dangerous place, and that's why field hospitals make sense."

Dr. Chu told Miss Kaptur that the top priority right now is security, and that providing health services is difficult because the situation in Iraq is still dangerous. "He agreed with Congresswoman Kaptur about the need to emphasize health care, and especially public health," said Steve Fought, an aide to Miss Kaptur who was present at the meeting.

Dr. Chu told Miss Kaptur that security in the country was probably too unstable for such an operation. He said the World Health Organization has emphasized rebuilding the health-care infrastructure in Iraq.

A team headed up by James Haveman, former director of the Michigan Department of Community Health, is in Iraq.

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