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Comfort Teams Wrap Up Medical Care in Colombia

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090620-21
Release Date: 6/20/2009 9:25:00 PM

By Airman 1st Class Benjamin Stratton, USNS Comfort Public Affairs

TUMACO, Colombia (NNS) -- Teams aboard hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) saw their last patients at Max Seidel School June 16 in Tumaco, Colombia at their fifth stop during Continuing Promise 2009 (CP09).

"For a community who doesn't have access to a lot of medical care, the services we've provided alongside host nation personnel have made a tremendous impression," said Air Force Maj. Efrain Delvalle, Comfort pharmacist. "These people are extremely grateful for our efforts across the board."

The site provided the people of Tumaco with every medical service Comfort has brought to the mission. Optometry, dental, adult medicine, pediatrics, dermatology and pharmaceutical services were among those offered to name a few.

"We far exceeded the goals established by mission leadership for our site here," said Navy Capt. Jeff Cole, Comfort general practitioner and Max Seidel site leader. "We were expected to treat 800 patients a day; we averaged more than 1,400 patients every day."

Successes such as those that Cole and his team encountered would not have been possible without the support of local health care providers.

"We have continued to partner well with our health care counterparts," Cole said. "Augmentation with their local health care significantly brought more care in a quicker fashion. In some respects, we've made a life changing difference in the hearts and minds of the Colombians."

As the CP09 team continues to El Salvador, team members take time to reflect on the accomplishments made here.

"It was amazing," said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Kathryn Sheppard, Comfort patient administrator. "People were very thankful."

Many of the staff at Max Seidel saw an overwhelming gratitude and appreciation for the efforts CP09 teams brought to their front door step.

"This has been a real eye opening experience," said Hospital Corpsman Danielle Hahn. "A patient said to me our coming here to help them was an answered prayer."

Comfort is scheduled to leave Colombia June 17 and arrive in El Salvador June 21. The ship has brought humanitarian and civic assistance to more than 45,000 patients in each of the five countries she has visited: Antigua and Barbuda, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Panama.

For more news from USNS Comfort, visit www.navy.mil/local/tah20/.