I saw something while watching all the devastation in Haiti that got me so excited that I felt the need to enlighten others with this information.  The Red Cross has a Navy hospital ship, named Comfort and it made its way to Haiti this week to treat the survivors of the earthquake.

The American Red Cross sent 69 volunteers from 5 states to help assist with these survivors.  All of the volunteers speak Creole, so the translation process will be easy from patient to medic.  The hospital has room for 1,000 patients.

The Comfort is a floating hospital.  Essentially, it is a hospital within a ship.  It is staffed by more than 500 medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, psychiatrists and a variety of surgeons.  It has 12 operating rooms; 20 recovery beds; 80 intensive care beds, 400 intermediate care and 500 minimal care.  They can perform almost any surgery short of open heart.

The ship has been on humanitarian missions to Haiti in the past.  Vice Admiral Adam Robinson, the Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy stated,  ”I did a humanitarian mission in Haiti.  I’ve had medical professionals there.  I’ve seen the stress of humanitarian missions in Haiti.  That was without an earthquake.  You’re going to have all that, plus an earthquake.”

Doctor Robinson said he expects to have Naval and medical assists in Haiti for a minimum of six months, perhaps longer.  I say kudos to the Red Cross for having such a vessel and the trained personnel, and wonderful volunteers to go along with it.

I believe we have to keep giving for a minimum of at least six months.  All those little contributions add up and lo and behold, after a while you get a floating ship, or perhaps a new city built with a sturdier infrastructure.