By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Karsten

ARIMA, Trinidad and Tobago – A U.S. Sailor attached to hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) worked at the same health facility Sept. 17 where she was born in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago.

Ship’s Serviceman 2nd Class Keisha Garcia was offered the opportunity to help with patient tracking during her time at the Arima Health Facility where she was visited by her family.         

“Being home has been exciting!” Garcia said. “I have been able to see and help my family as well as my countrymen.”

Garcia, who came from Naval Medical Center Bethesda, Md., to serve during Comfort’s humanitarian deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean, works aboard the ship supporting the crew and mission with supplies and ship’s store services. Garcia will take two days of leave to spend quality time with her family after working at Arima Health Facility.

“The people here are greatly appreciative of what the Comfort team is doing,” Garcia said. “This experience will be long remembered both by myself as well as the people we helped.” 

Arima Health Facility is one of three work sites the Comfort team is supporting. Comfort personnel are also providing medical and dental care at the Moulton Hall Methodist Elementary School and education at the Eric Williams Medical Science Complex, both in Port-of-Spain.