USNS Comfort Completes Mission to Latin America and the Caribbean Region

(October 6, 2007) CDR Charles Ellis, an oral surgeon in the U.S. Navy, and CAPT Sandra Shire, a dentist in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, perform surgical dental extractions on a Surinamese female patient under general anesthesia.

October 10, 2007 – The U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort departed Paramaribo, Suriname,on October 8, 2007, to return to Norfolk, Virginia, after concluding its four-month humanitarian mission to Latin America and the Caribbean.  During its tour, the hospital ship visited a total of 12 countries, and treated 98,658 patients. All told, the Comfort’s crew provided medical help to 386,000 patients.

While in Suriname, USNS Comfort personnel saw patients ashore and onboard ship; dispensed prescription medicines; conducted environmental-health, preventive-medicine and veterinary missions; and advised local officials regarding a variety of health-related issues. Among those who were providing care and assistance to the Surinamese was the fourth team of U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps officers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which included six physicians, two dentists, four dental hygienists, two nurses, two environmental-health officers, one engineer, one veterinarian, and one pharmacist.

In a ceremony to welcome the USNS Comfort on October 2, 2007, the Minister of Defense of Suriname, the Honorable Ivan Fernald, highlighted the partnership between the United States and his country.

"The arrival of the [Comfort] demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. working together with neighboring nations and helping people through medical and humanitarian assistance," Fernald said. "I would like to convey my gratitude to the President of the United States, Mr. George W. Bush, who made this project possible. I hope that the Comfort team will look back on this mission as a job well done."

On October 3, 2007, HHS/USPHS officers worked alongside U.S. and Canadian military personnel, and students and instructors at Jeugd Tand Verzorging (JTV, or Youth Dental Foundation), to provide dental treatment, eye examinations, and other health care to pediatric patients from 10 orphanages around Paramaribo. The JTV was one of six sites in and around Paramaribo where Comfort personnel provided medical and dental care.

"This is really a wonderful environment, both as a dentist and a public-health professional," HHS/USPHS CAPT Renée Joskow said. "The Surinamese have been very open and welcoming – they’ve been very gracious to allow us to work beside them and use their dental school and equipment."

The staff of the USNS Comfort staff consists of U.S. Department of Defense and HHS Public Health Service officers, Canadian Forces, and volunteers from the non-governmental organization Project Hope.

Last revised: October 18, 2007