A US Navy hospital ship is on a nine month tour to help mainly Nicaraguan and Venezuelan refugees throughout Central America. It is going from country to country to provide humanitarian aid. It’s currently serving the community of Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
The ship has over 200 specialists and 50 assistants and nurses. They will provide free services in general and preventive medicine, dentistry, optometry, pediatrics, dermatology, women’s health and physical therapy.
Children watched and took photos as two helicopters moved medical supplies from the USNS Comfort, the hospital ship, to the Association of Pensioners of Puntarenas and the El Coloso gymnasium.
Over the next few days, 10,000 people will receive much needed medical care. The CCSS chose some patients to get surgery for cataracts. The USNS Comfort has 12 operating rooms and 1,000 beds for patients. It has a laboratory, radiology service, pharmacy, physical therapy unit, oxygen production plants, a burn unit, a sterilization center and four distillation plants to produce drinking water.
