NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort returned to Naval Station Norfolk, on Tuesday.
The ship completed an 11-week deployment to South and Central America. The mission was to offer medical support to the region as part of U.S. Southern Command’s Operation Enduring Promise initiative.
The deployment reflected the United States’ enduring promise of friendship, partnership, and solidarity with the Americas.
Comfort’s medical team, 465 U.S. and partner nation military doctors, nurses and corpsmen, worked with health and government partners in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Honduras. They provided care both aboard the ship and at land-based medical sites, helping to relieve pressure on national medical systems caused partially by an increase in cross-border migrants.
About 90 medical and dental professional volunteers from non-governmental organizations were also aboard to support the medical assistance mission.
During the mission, USNS Comfort visited Esmeraldas, Ecuador; Paita, Peru; Turbo, Colombia; Riohacha, Colombia; and Trujillo, Honduras. This was the sixth time the hospital ship has provided medical assistance in the region.
PHOTOS: On board U.S. Naval Hospital Ship Comfort
Health services that were provided by the USNS Comfort included general surgery, ophthalmologic surgery, dermatology, medical evaluation and treatment, preventive medicine, dental screenings and treatment, optometry screenings, eyewear distribution, and general public health.
Over the 11-weeks, 26,000 patients were treated by the crew aboard the ship, and about 600 surgeries were performed.
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