Tickets for United States Navy Medical Visit Available April 1 at Designated Medical Centers

April 1, 2009

No. 2009/ 23 

Beginning April 1, the Haitian Ministry of Health will issue tickets for medical appointments at two clinic sites which will be operated by the hospital ship USNS Comfort.  The crew of the Comfort will offer medical treatment to the Haitian public in Port-au-Prince April 9-19.  The Ministry of Health has identified ten medical centers that will conduct preliminary assessments and issue tickets for medical appointments.   They are as follows:

Cité Soleil:

1. CHOSCAL/MSPP (Centre Hospitalier Ste Catherine Labouré) at Soleil 19, Cité Soleil
2. CHAPI-MSPP (Centre Haitiano Arabe, Plan International) at Avenue Soleil #18
3. Father Richard Franck (PELE) at Cité Soleil, zone Cité Militaire
4. Father Thomas HAGAN (Father THOM)

Delmas: HUP (Hôpital Universitaire La Paix) at Delmas 33

Carrefour:

1. Hôpital Adventiste, Diquini 63
2. Arcachon 32 ci-devant Hôpital Food for the Poor
3. MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) Martissant
4. Hôpital de Carrefour,  Route de Carrefour

Pétion-Ville: Hôpital Eliazar Germain, Rue Pan Américaine, Pétion-Ville

Once the tickets have been disbursed, further instructions will be provided indicating where and when ticketholders may present themselves for examination.  No person will be allowed into the clinics without tickets.  Children and people with disabilities can be accompanied by one adult.

Screenings for previously-identified surgical candidates will take place at the Killick Coast Guard Base clinic site on April 10 and 11.  Individuals must be on a list of people referred by local clinics / hospitals, and may bring their doctor or a family member to the screening.  Comfort physicians will provide information on when individuals who will undergo surgery should return to Killick after their initial screenings.

The United States reminds the public that the Comfort will present a large navigational hazard while moored offshore.  No unauthorized persons or craft may approach within 1,000 meters of the Comfort.  By respecting this boundary, the public can prevent potential safety or security concerns associated with the Comfort’s visit.

The Comfort visit reflects the continued commitment of the Unites States to Haiti, and the critical importance which the United States Government places on healthcare as part of its overall assistance efforts in Haiti.  An estimated 47% of the Haitian population has access to USG-funded healthcare.  In 2009 alone, the American people will disburse over $126 million in health assistance to Haiti, ranging from HIV prevention and treatment to prenatal and family health, and in forms such as mobile clinics in the provinces, training for healthcare personnel and provision of essential medications and immunizations for children.