THE United States Naval vessel Comfort — a mercy-class hospital ship — is scheduled to visit Jamaica to provide medical services in May.

While berthed in Kingston, the Comfort’s crew will provide medical services, conduct professional medical exchanges with their Jamaican counterparts, and engage in community outreach projects at schools across the island.

“I welcome this visit by the USNS Comfort which is another demonstration of the strong partnership between the United States and Jamaica,” said Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson.

The USNS Comfort’s visit to Jamaica is part of ‘continuing promise’, a nearly six-month humanitarian mission across the Caribbean region.

“The Comfort’s mission — providing free, world-class medicine to our neighbours — underscores the enduring friendship between our two countries and the generosity of the American people,” said US Ambassador to Jamaica Luis G Moreno.

While in Jamaica, the ship’s medical team expects to see several hundred people per day between the two medical outreach sites located at the National Arena complex and the Maxfield Park Health Centre in Kingston.

The public is welcome to visit either site from May 6 to 13, starting at 8:30 am each day (including weekends), to take advantage of the services offered by the crew of USNS Comfort. These include optometry, dentistry, general medical, women’s health, pediatrics, and pharmacy.