USNS Comfort Responds to Second Hospital Generator Failure in Puerto Rico

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USNS Comfort Responds to Second Hospital Generator Failure in Puerto Rico

Story Number: NNS171007-03Release Date: 10/7/2017 10:41:00 AM

By Lt. j.g. Samuel Boyle

CARIBBEAN SEA (NNS) -- The Mercy-class Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), underway near the coast of the Arecibo-Manati region of Puerto Rico, received four critical patients from Hospital Menonita in Caguas, Puerto Rico, after its generator failed, Oct. 6.

"We are a mobile platform that can respond to the greatest area of need or act as a strut to help the Puerto Rican health system," said Capt. Kevin Buckley, commanding officer of the medical treatment facility onboard Comfort. "We are engaged and determined to relieve human suffering."
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Patients were medevaced by the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) and USNS Comfort's detachments of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22, the "Sea Knights".
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Comfort, with the assistance of Army Black Hawk helicopters, had medevaced critical patients from Ryder Memorial Hospital in Humacao, Puerto Rico two days prior, after its generator also failed.

Comfort has treated 75 patients ranging from six months to 89 years in age and performed numerous procedures such as gastrostomy tube placement, colectomies, sacral-decubitus ulcer debridement, as well as treated for wounds, hernias and pneumonia.
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