Senior leadership from the hospital ship USNS Comfort, along with host, US diplomatic and partner nation representatives attended an opening ceremony to mark the start of the vessel’s medical mission stop in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, on July 23.
The target of this mission is for US service members and medical professionals to cooperate with partner and host nation medical specialists to provide medical assistance and help relieve pressure on health systems strained by the Venezuelan migration crisis.
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In addition, the purpose of this mission is for US service members and medical professionals to work alongside partner and host nation medical specialists to provide medical assistance and help mitigate pressure on health systems strained by the Venezuelan migration crisis.
The Comfort isn’t just a symbol of American goodwill, it’s a symbol of goodwill of the Americas – neighbors helping neighbors. In the next week, this team of professionals from Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and the United States will help many thousands of people, and we are all excited to make new friends
stated Capt. Brian J. Diebold, commander, Task Force 49.
Comfort’s team includes more than 900 personnel, including military, non-governmental organization volunteers and members from partner nations, who started screening surgical patients July 9. This ceremony marks that medical sites are fully operational and will treat hundreds of patients during its mission.
It also signifies the second visit Comfort has made to Puntarenas. During Continuing Promise 2011, embarked medical teams treated over 7,000 patients aboard Comfort and at various medical sites, near Puntarenas.
