ARTICLE - USNS COMFORT IN HAITI

«USNS COMFORT» IN HAITI TO PROVIDE FREE CARE
(Haiti Libre) -

In collaboration with the Haitian Ministry of Health, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince announces the visit to Haiti of the U.S. hospital ship USNS Comfort. The USNS Comfort will arrive in Port-au-Prince on August 18 and remain until August 30. The visit is part of the U.S. Navy's Continuing Promise 2011 exercise, a five-month humanitarian assistance mission occurring throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Port-au-Prince will be the ship's ninth and last stop on this mission. The voyage of the Comfort emphasizes the continued commitment of the United States to Haiti, and reflects the shared history and friendship between the United States and the countries in the region.

The United States thanks the Haitian Ministry of Health for hosting this mission. The crew of the hospital ship Comfort will work in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and international partners to offer medical, dental, and veterinary care to the people of Haiti.

The medical staff of the hospital ship will begin seeing dental patients and patients with general medical needs on August 19 from 08:00 am to 4:30 p.m. at Varreux Terminal, Varreux, Cite Soleil. Consultations will end on August 28.

In addition to health services, Navy Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 28, and U.S. Marines from the 8th Engineer Support Battalion will conduct engineering and construction projects to be identified by the Haitian government.

This mission highlights the critical importance which the U.S. government places on healthcare as part of its overall assistance and reconstruction efforts in Haiti. In 2010, the United States provided more than $74 million in health assistance to Haiti, including family and child health services and HIV prevention and treatment.