• COMFORT arrived in Paramaribo, Suriname, 1 October 2007. Current USPHS detachment (Team 4): 6 physicians, 2 dentists, 4 dental hygienists, 2 nurses, 2 environmental health officers (including OIC), 1 engineer, 1 veterinarian, 1 pharmacist.
• While the ship was in Guyana, the President of Guyana toured the COMFORT. President Bharrat Jagdeo was accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Guyana David M. Robinson and Guyanese governmental and military officials, including the minister of agriculture and the head of presidential security.
• The health care personnel attached to the COMFORT continued to see medical, dental and veterinary patients at multiple locations ashore. Surgical services continued onboard the ship.
• Also while in Guyana, the environmental health team aboard the COMFORT visited several sites, including a Grove/Diamond landfill site and water supply system to assess its link to the spread of diseases. The team was spearheaded by CAPT Shepherd (the USPHS OIC) and comprised U.S. Navy officials and USPHS LCDR Rhambarose (a native of Guyana), who is also attached to the U.S. Coast Guard. The mission was to highlight the link between pollution and common medical ailments. The team went to Diamond/Grove as the pilot area for the project during discussions with the Ministry since the water and landfill facilities are on location. The team had an extensive look at the water treatment plant and made several recommendations, including chlorination safeguards and the crucial issue of training for operators. They also examined the domestic liquid waste and drainage system which connects to community networking waterways and eventually to the Demerara River. All observations and recommendations were forwarded to the Ministry of Health.
• While in Suriname, the COMFORT is anchored more than 15 miles off-shore. Those officers leaving the COMFORT must do so by helicopter and travel approximately 30 miles to the helicopter landing zone. On 3 October, the veterinarian team did so and upon arrival, boarded a bus and headed out to two horse farms and a small sheep farm. At the Ponderosa Equestrian Center, a Suriname veterinarian and owner of this facility requested CDR Campbell examine several of the horses. Several of the horses appeared to have hoof and leg aches and pains - several would limp when walking. Numerous observations/recommendations were made during visit and were most appreciated by the owner of the Ponderosa Equestrian Center.
• On 1 October, the US Navy published a short video highlighting the work in Guyana of LTJG Stacy Ingram, one of the USPHS Dental Hygienists on Team 4. The link to the video is: http://www.navy.mil/management/videodb/player/video.aspx?id=9960

USS PELELIU     USPHS OIC: CAPT Kathleen Downs

• PELELIU has completed its mission.

Week # 17: 4 October – 10 October 

USNS COMFORT    USPHS Officer-in-Charge (OIC): CAPT Craig Shepherd

• COMFORT departed Suriname 8 October, and is scheduled to arrive into Norfolk, VA, on 15 October. Current USPHS detachment (Team 4): 6 physicians, 2 dentists, 4 dental hygienists, 2 nurses, 2 environmental health officers (including OIC), 1 engineer, 1 veterinarian, 1 pharmacist.
• While in Suriname, COMFORT personnel continued to see patients ashore and onboard ship, dispense prescription medicines, conduct environmental health, preventive medicine and veterinary missions, and advise local officials regarding a variety of health related issues.
• Also while in Suriname, the COMFORT was visited by the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert M. Gates, and distinguished visitors from Suriname. While onboard the ship, Secretary Gates met USPHS officers and was given a PHS coin by CAPT Craig Shepherd.
• Upon departure from Suriname, the COMFORT concluded its visits to 12 foreign countries during its 4-month mission. Below is a brief summary of clinical encounters, including single patients receiving multiple treatments, students in training sessions, and veterinary care services:

• Included in the above table is dental care. Dentists and staff treated 25,000 patients, extracting 300 teeth, and performing 4,000 fillings, 7,000 sealings, and 20,000 fluoride applications.

• PELELIU has completed its mission.

Week # 18: 11 October – 17 October 

USNS COMFORT    USPHS Officer-in-Charge (OIC): CAPT Craig Shepherd 

• On 15 October 2007, to significant dock-side fanfare including numerous family members, VIPs, a Navy Band and representatives of the media, the COMFORT pulled into Pier 14 at Norfolk Naval Station with the PHS flag flying prominently off the bow of the ship as the crew of 780 were 'manning the rails.' The 19 USPHS officers on board (Team 4 plus the USPHS OIC) were greeted by RADM Robert Williams (Acting Deputy Surgeon General) and RADM David Rutstein (Director, Office of Force Readiness and Deployment), thanked for their service, and then disembarked the ship for return travel back to their duty stations. The ship's Military Treatment Facility Commander, the Executive Officer of the ship as well as numerous other Navy officers specifically approached RADM Williams and RADM Rutstein to express their gratitude for the service of all the USPHS officers, as well as their admiration for the quality of their work and the spirit with which it was completed. The ship will be in Norfolk for several days before returning to its lay berth of Baltimore.
• COMFORT traveled more than 11,680 nautical miles during the course of its 4-month deployment. Collectively U.S. medical professionals aboard the COMFORT, including U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, Air Force, Army and non-government organizations Project Hope and Operation Smile, provided more than 386,000 medical “encounters,” to more than 98,000 patients in a dozen countries. Services provided ranged from primary adult and pediatric care to optometry and dentistry.

USS PELELIU     USPHS OIC: CAPT Kathleen Downs

• PELELIU has completed its mission.

Note: This concludes the Health Diplomacy Weekly Update. Weekly updates will resume with the resumption of health diplomacy missions involving the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service.