By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelly E. Barnes

MANTA, Ecuador – After treating patients in the first six of 12 scheduled countries, hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in the port of Manta, Ecuador, Aug. 15 to continue its four-month humanitarian assistance deployment.

While in Ecuador, members of the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, Canadian Forces and non-governmental organization Project Hope will continue Comfort’s mission of providing the people of Latin America and the Caribbean with health care services, including adult and pediatric primary care, dental care, optometry and other services.

In addition to medical services the Comfort team will offer, embarked Naval Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 202 will support community projects in Ecuador, including constructing handicapped access ramps, plumbing and piping repairs or replacements, electrical repairs, adding or repairing ceiling fans, and replacing lighting fixtures.

Comfort will remain in Ecuador for nearly a week conducting operations at various locations, including Angelica Flores School, 10 de Agosto School, Maruja Cedeno School, Luis Teadon Castro School and Rodriquez Zambrano Hospital.

“The Comfort team is really looking forward to reaching out and connecting with the people of Ecuador,” said Capt. Bob Kapcio, Comfort’s mission commander.

Comfort is on a 120-day humanitarian assistance deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean providing medical assistance to patients in more than a dozen countries.