Navy mission of mercy had some help from region

September 07, 2009 12:00 am • Last Updated: September 08, 2009 11:10 am

By By JUDY BENSON Day Staff Writer

The hospital ship USNS Comfort transits the Panama Canal at the Miraflores locks while on its humanitarian mission to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Groton - While debates rage about the nation's health care and health insurance reform, two local Navy doctors and two servicemen stationed at the Naval Submarine Base harbor fresh memories of places where the medical care system isn't something to be argued, analyzed or assailed.Most of the time, it simply doesn't exist.

Most of the time, it simply doesn't exist.The four - Capt. Karen Daly, a psychiatrist; Dr. Kathryn Johnson, a Navy reservist and occupational medicine physician; Esteban Vargas, a machinist's mate; and Brian Namulik, a ship's serviceman second class - were part of a 4½-month humanitarian medical mission aboard the Navy ship USNS Comfort.

The four - Capt. Karen Daly, a psychiatrist; Dr. Kathryn Johnson, a Navy reservist and occupational medicine physician; Esteban Vargas, a machinist's mate; and Brian Namulik, a ship's serviceman second class - were part of a 4½-month humanitarian medical mission aboard the Navy ship USNS Comfort.Starting in mid-March, the hospital ship sailed to some of the poorest regions of the Caribbean and Latin America and treated more than 100,000 patients. Veterinarians on board also fanned out into the countryside to vaccinate, de-worm and sterilize hundreds of livestock, cats and dogs. First Lady Michelle Obama greeted the ship upon its return to port July 31.

Starting in mid-March, the hospital ship sailed to some of the poorest regions of the Caribbean and Latin America and treated more than 100,000 patients. Veterinarians on board also fanned out into the countryside to vaccinate, de-worm and sterilize hundreds of livestock, cats and dogs. First Lady Michelle Obama greeted the ship upon its return to port July 31."It's part of our maritime plan to offer these services, to show them the U.S. military has a helpful side," Dr. Daly said. "Hopefully, we made some political inroads."

"It's part of our maritime plan to offer these services, to show them the U.S. military has a helpful side," Dr. Daly said. "Hopefully, we made some political inroads."The four joined more than 1,000 others who made up the ship's crew and medical staff. Among them were members of all branches of the military and the Coast Guard, volunteers from dozens of nonprofit and religious groups and medical professionals from Antigua & Barbuda, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Haiti, the Netherlands, Nicaragua and Panama.

The four joined more than 1,000 others who made up the ship's crew and medical staff. Among them were members of all branches of the military and the Coast Guard, volunteers from dozens of nonprofit and religious groups and medical professionals from Antigua & Barbuda, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Haiti, the Netherlands, Nicaragua and Panama.Based in Baltimore, the Comfort did its first medical mission trip to the Caribbean and Latin America in 2007, and has a sister hospital ship, the USNS Mercy, that performs the same humanitarian duties in Asia and the South Pacific.

Based in Baltimore, the Comfort did its first medical mission trip to the Caribbean and Latin America in 2007, and has a sister hospital ship, the USNS Mercy, that performs the same humanitarian duties in Asia and the South Pacific. After arriving at each port, Comfort crews would set up medical clinics in nearby schools and stadiums, and local residents would line up for care. Many, Dr. Johnson recalled, dressed in their best outfits.

After arriving at each port, Comfort crews would set up medical clinics in nearby schools and stadiums, and local residents would line up for care. Many, Dr. Johnson recalled, dressed in their best outfits."Many were poor tenant farmers, without easy access to medical care," said Dr. Johnson, who spent about a month on the ship. The other three served for the entire 4½-month mission.

"Many were poor tenant farmers, without easy access to medical care," said Dr. Johnson, who spent about a month on the ship. The other three served for the entire 4½-month mission.Many hadn't seen a doctor in years, if ever. Some had been treated for a particular condition such as diabetes years earlier and knew their diagnosis, but had no medications, she recalled.

Many hadn't seen a doctor in years, if ever. Some had been treated for a particular condition such as diabetes years earlier and knew their diagnosis, but had no medications, she recalled. All specialities were available, so that patients could choose to see Dr. Johnson, who provided primary care, or a dentist or ophthalmologist, for example. Many patients put aside other medical needs for the chance to have eyesight improved with eyeglasses, she recalled. Because there were many different types of specialists among the ship's medical staff, she could refer patients to radiologists, dermatologists and physical therapists.

All specialities were available, so that patients could choose to see Dr. Johnson, who provided primary care, or a dentist or ophthalmologist, for example. Many patients put aside other medical needs for the chance to have eyesight improved with eyeglasses, she recalled. Because there were many different types of specialists among the ship's medical staff, she could refer patients to radiologists, dermatologists and physical therapists.The best part of serving with the Comfort, she said, was "making a difference for the few that I did, and showing compassion and caring, so that they at least understand that Americans care."

The best part of serving with the Comfort, she said, was "making a difference for the few that I did, and showing compassion and caring, so that they at least understand that Americans care."Anyone who needed surgery would be taken by helicopter back to the ship. Surgeons did hysterectomies, hernia and thyroid operations, removed cataracts and reconstructed the jaw and neck of a severely burned boy, a procedure recorded by the Discovery Channel.

Anyone who needed surgery would be taken by helicopter back to the ship. Surgeons did hysterectomies, hernia and thyroid operations, removed cataracts and reconstructed the jaw and neck of a severely burned boy, a procedure recorded by the Discovery Channel. Dr. Daly's main duties were providing care to Comfort crew members rather than the local residents, but she impacted mental health care in the nations they visited in another way. Daly taught classes in post-traumatic stress disorder, stress management and other topics to groups of primary-care doctors working in those countries. Vargas used his fluency in Spanish to help her translate.

Dr. Daly's main duties were providing care to Comfort crew members rather than the local residents, but she impacted mental health care in the nations they visited in another way. Daly taught classes in post-traumatic stress disorder, stress management and other topics to groups of primary-care doctors working in those countries. Vargas used his fluency in Spanish to help her translate. "There's very little in the way of mental health resources," Dr. Daly said. She would focus her lessons, she said, on the ways doctors in these countries could help people with these conditions with the few resources they had.

"There's very little in the way of mental health resources," Dr. Daly said. She would focus her lessons, she said, on the ways doctors in these countries could help people with these conditions with the few resources they had. "There is so much more need than we can ever satisfy," she said.

"There is so much more need than we can ever satisfy," she said. Vargas' and Namulik's main duties were on board the Comfort, helping keep its day-to-day operations running. But they also had the chance to help with the medical services - Namulik helped direct patients to the different specialty areas, and Vargas was often called on to help translate - and to interact with the local populations in brush-clearing, school and orphanage building projects, soccer and cricket games.

Vargas' and Namulik's main duties were on board the Comfort, helping keep its day-to-day operations running. But they also had the chance to help with the medical services - Namulik helped direct patients to the different specialty areas, and Vargas was often called on to help translate - and to interact with the local populations in brush-clearing, school and orphanage building projects, soccer and cricket games. Namulik's peak experience in a profoundly affecting trip, he said, was an eight-day project with an indigenous tribe in Panama. He and about two dozen other Comfort crew members hauled cinder blocks and bags of cement through the jungle for an eco-tourism development project.

Namulik's peak experience in a profoundly affecting trip, he said, was an eight-day project with an indigenous tribe in Panama. He and about two dozen other Comfort crew members hauled cinder blocks and bags of cement through the jungle for an eco-tourism development project. "It's something I'll remember forever," he said, smiling. "The indigenous people would go out and kill the snakes for us to make sure we were safe."

"It's something I'll remember forever," he said, smiling. "The indigenous people would go out and kill the snakes for us to make sure we were safe."Though he didn't volunteer for the Comfort trip with this in mind, Vargas ended up drawing both on his Spanish skills and those he's developed as the father of a 1-year-old daughter. Working with doctors and others aboard the Comfort, Vargas taught classes in these countries in basic life-saving, cardiac life support, emergency medicine and other topics.

Though he didn't volunteer for the Comfort trip with this in mind, Vargas ended up drawing both on his Spanish skills and those he's developed as the father of a 1-year-old daughter. Working with doctors and others aboard the Comfort, Vargas taught classes in these countries in basic life-saving, cardiac life support, emergency medicine and other topics."I even taught lactation classes in Haiti to nurses and midwives," he said, smiling. "I ended up helping a woman who was having feeding problems with her infant."

"I even taught lactation classes in Haiti to nurses and midwives," he said, smiling. "I ended up helping a woman who was having feeding problems with her infant."j.benson@theday.com

j.benson@theday.com

Patients return to Tumaco, Colombia, after undergoing surgery aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort.