US Embassy Announces Hospital Ship Comfort to Arrive July 25
July 17, 2007

*****

On Tuesday, July 17, Public Affairs Officer Robert Riley and Cmdr. Kenneth Morrill announced that the hospital ship USN Comfort will arrive in El Salvador July 25. Together with the Embassy representatives, Ministry of Health representative Dr Silvia Olivo and Ministry of Defense representative Colonel Victor Manuel Arbaiza Majano presented the work plan for the crew of the ship during its stay.

The crew will be working in Acajutla, Sonsonate, and will be providing medical treatment at three different locations: from July 26th to 28th at the Costa Brava Educational Center; from July 29th to July 31st at the Delfina Rivas Educational Center; and from July 26th to July 31st at the Acajutla Health Unit.  The ship's crew will also be performing surgeries on board the ship.

The Comfort is on a four-month humanitarian mission during which it will stop in 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In El Salvador, the ship's crew will be providing basic medical evaluation and treatment, surgeries, preventative medicine treatment, dental screenings and treatment, ophthalmology and optometry services, eyewear distribution, general public health training, and veterinary services.  The ship's health care professionals have the capacity to treat over 1000 patients a day on land and perform 12-15 surgeries per day on the ship. 

Thus far on its voyage, the Comfort has treated over 55,000 patients in three countries and is well on its way to exceeding its goal of treating 85,000 patients on the mission.