Christopher Serju, Star Writer

Jamaicans will be able to access a range of free medical services next month when an American hospital ship docks in Kingston Harbour, Wednesday, May 6 -13.

The ship's team of medical experts will operate from two outreach sites, the National Arena, and Maxfield Park Health Centre. They will see patients from 8:30 a.m. each day (including weekends). Services offered will be optometry, dentistry, general medical, women's health and paediatrics.

In addition to providing medical services during their week in port, the crew of the United States naval ship 'Comfort' will also conduct professional medical exchanges with Jamaican counterparts and engage in community-outreach projects at schools in Kingston and St Andrew.

On Tuesday, May 5, the Ministry of Health will begin screening candidates for surgery to be done aboard the ship. Screening will take place at the Kingston Public Hospital and Bustamante Hospital for Children for patients previously selected for surgery and meet the screening criteria.

According to a press release jointly issued by the health ministry, and the US Embassy on Wednesday, the Jamaica stop is part of 'Continuing Promise', a near six-month humanitarian mission across the Caribbean region. The 'Comfort' will visit 10 other countries throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America - Belize, Columbia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.

Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson welcomed the visit as "another demonstration of the strong partnership between the United States and Jamaica", a sentiment shared with the American ambassador to Jamaica, Luis G Moreno.

"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 Ambassador Moreno. "The US Embassy will continue to work to enable Jamaican health and prosperity."