Your Navy

Navy hospital ship Comfort treats Venezuelan migrants, Colombians

By The Associated Press

Nov 27, 2018

The hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) anchors off the coast of Colombia on Nov. 14, 2018, for an 11-week medical support mission to Central and South America as part of U.S. Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative. (MC1 Scott Bigley/Navy)

RIOHACHA, Colombia — Venezuelan migrants in need of urgent medical care are receiving surgeries aboard a U.S. Navy ship docked off Colombia’s coast.

Dozens on the hospital ship Comfort on Tuesday were getting treatment for conditions including cataracts and hernias.

The hospital ship is docked off Riohacha near Colombia’s border with Venezuela as part of an 11-week mission to three South American nations.

U.S. military doctors line up as they leave the public school where they attended patients in Riohacha, Colombia, Monday, Nov. 26, 2018. The USNS Comfort is in Colombia as part of a mission to treat local residents and Venezuelas who require urgent medical attention. (Fernando Vergara/AP)

A 3-year-old boy with an inguinal hernia is among those first expected to get an operation.

Millions of Venezuelans have fled their country as it becomes more difficult to obtain everything from antibiotics to chemotherapy.

RELATED

At US Southern Command, Mattis says military alliances help stability in Western Hemisphere

Defense Secretary James Mattis said Monday that the U.S. military brings stability to most of Latin America through its operations run across the hemisphere by the Miami-based Southern Command.

Colombia has treated thousands of Venezuelans in its emergency rooms but many migrants still find it difficult to get adequate care.

The Comfort is also treating Colombian patients.

Elvis Trazadania, from Venezuela, receives free dental treatment at a public school hosting U.S. doctors from the USNS Comfort hospital ship in Riohacha, Colombia, Monday, Nov. 26, 2018. The USNS Comfort is in Colombia as part of a mission to treat local residents and Venezuelans who require urgent medical attention. (Fernando Vergara/AP)

Share:

In Other News

No ‘significant’ mover capacity problems expected for troops, DOD says

The DOD says a new task force is "fully engaged" in overseeing the process of troops' household goods moves during this peak season.

Lawmaker proposes Iranian Campaign Medal for strikes on nuclear sites

Pilots and supporting service members involved in the complex airstrikes would be eligible for the new military medal.

House passes $435 billion spending plan for VA in fiscal 2026

Republicans approved plans for an 18% boost in total Veterans Affairs spending next year, but the measure is far from becoming law.

Advocates recruit vets to attend Afghan allies’ immigration hearings

The effort is designed to show support for legal immigration of more Afghans who worked alongside American forces during the war overseas.

Lawmakers press VA for details on DOGE access to vets records

Democrats want promises from department leaders that sensitive medical and financial information is being handled securely.