By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelly E. Barnes

USNS Comfort Public Affairs

PARAMARIBO, Suriname – Crewmembers of hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) teamed up with dental students and instructors at Jeugd Tand Verzorging (Youth Dental Foundation), or JTV, Oct. 3 in Paramaribo to provide care to pediatric patients.

The care offered by the two countries’ combined efforts was provided to patients from 10 different orphanages around Paramaribo.

“We looked for a group of Surinamese that really needed dental care,” said Wendy Webb, U.S. Embassy’s medical operations coordinator for Suriname.

The site was originally designated solely for dental care. Webb chose with JTV to work with the orphanages and the plan was expanded to meet more of the children’s needs.

“We decided for full service for the most comprehensive care possible for the most needy people here in Suriname,” Webb said.

Aside from the pediatric examinations and eye examinations, the children’s dental care, provided both by the Comfort team and by students and instructors at JTV, included routine cleanings and examinations, tooth extractions, and cavity fillings.

“It’s very exciting to work with people from another country – we learn from each other,” said Angela Soedirian, a third-year dental student at JTV. “I hope there will be more projects like this in the future: two different countries working together. I think the relationship between America and Suriname was already good, but now it’s better.”

U.S. Public Health Service Capt. Renee Jaskow shared Soedirian’s sentiments and said she viewed the work she did with the Surinamese as an opportunity to learn and teach about public health issues.

“This is really a wonderful environment, both as a dentist and a public health professional,” Joskow said. “The Surinamese have been very open and welcoming – they’ve been very gracious to allow us to work beside them and use their dental school and equipment.”

The Comfort team will continue working at JTV for nearly a week while in Paramaribo and surrounding areas.

After Suriname, Comfort will conclude its four-month humanitarian deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean, having provided medical care to patients in a dozen countries.