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Comfort Arrives in Panama, Offers Daily Medical Services to Hundreds

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090526-02
Release Date: 5/26/2009 10:01:00 AM

By Airman 1st Class Danielle Grannan, USNS Comfort Public Affairs

COLON, Panama (NNS) -- Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Panama May 24 as part of Continuing Promise 2009 (CP09) to provide medical and other services to Panama.

This four-month humanitarian and civic assistance mission is an equal partnership between the United States and its international partners to provide support programs afloat and ashore in seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"This is another opportunity to work with and help a partner nation," said Air Force 2nd Lt. Shawn Cuevas, a Spanish translator and medical operations officer aboard Comfort. "We're here to strengthen the relationship between the United States and Latin American and Caribbean nations so that if a disaster should someday hit this region, the ties are already there."

CP09 offers a variety of medical, dental, veterinary and engineering programs to host nations to include 250 patient beds, multiple operating rooms, X-ray machines, CT scanners, a pharmacy, dental suites, and physical therapy among other services.

Comfort's crew will support three temporary medical sites in Colon where they will offer minor medical care such as teeth cleanings, eye screenings and general medical examinations. These sites are expected to support between 500 and 700 patients per day.

Also planned are several engineering sites whose missions range from repairing a school playground to renovating a local medical clinic.

"I'm excited to be in Panama on this next leg of our mission," said Boatswain's mate 3rd Class Richard Kelly. "We're doing something really important and it's great to be able to bring services to Panama that will really help the people here."

Comfort has already visited Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Antigua and will continue on to Colombia, Nicaragua and El Salvador. To date, medical personnel aboard Comfort have triaged more than 31,000 patients and performed more than 500 surgical services. The ship is scheduled to be in Panama until June 2.