U.S. hospital ship arrives in Dominican Republic for medical mission

Puerto Plata.- The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort docked in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on Wednesday, July 16, to begin a three-day humanitarian medical mission. The initiative, part of the Continuing Promise 2025 regional effort, will provide free healthcare services to around 1,200 local residents from July 17 to 19.

According to the U.S. Embassy, Dominican and American medical personnel will offer consultations from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily at the Javier Martínez Arias Polytechnic, treating up to 400 patients per day. Services include general medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, dermatology, nutrition, optometry, physical therapy, dentistry, and more. Surgeries will be conducted aboard the USNS Comfort on patients pre-selected by the Ministry of Public Health and the National Health Service.

The ship, staffed by over 300 medical professionals, nurses, and support staff, is fully equipped with operating rooms, intensive care units, and 1,000 hospital beds.

The Dominican Republic is one of several countries included in the USNS Comfort’s regional mission, which also covers Grenada, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Colombia.