bb.usembassy.gov-The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) will offer free medical services in Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Kitts and Nevis from September 15-20, September 25-30 and October 5-10 respectively. The ship will conduct approximately 100 onboard surgeries, provide basic medical services at two medical walk-in sites as well as host health fairs/community outreach to address various public health topics in each of the countries it visits.
Surgery candidates will be selected by the respective country’s Ministry of Health. Onboard surgeries will fall under the categories of Opthalmology, General Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Wound Care and Urology. Surgery candidates will be drawn primarily from existing waiting lists within the public health system. Candidates with the optimal clinical background and those who have been on the waiting list for the longest timeframe will be prioritized. The categories of services offered at the medical walk-in sites are Adult Medical Services, Pediatric Medical Services, Dental, Optometry, Physical Therapy and Dermatology. The walk-in sites will operate from approximately 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day on a first come, first serve basis. In order to see as many patients as possible, each person will be seen by only one provider, unless that provider deems additional services are needed for the identified condition and are available at the site.
Members of the public should NOT send medical records to the U.S. Embassy.
The visit of the USNS Comfort is part of the ship’s five-month deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean on a medical assistance mission. The USNS Comfort operation is part of the deepening of U.S. engagement in the region under the health pillar of the U.S.-Caribbean 2020 Strategy. This marks the seventh hospital ship deployment to the region since 2007. USNS Comfort medical teams will also provide care in Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Jamaica, and Panama during this deployment.
