OTTAWA – Canadian Forces (CF) Health Services will deploy 30 health-care personnel onboard a U.S. Navy vessel on Exercise Continuing Promise from April 1 to July 31, 2009, an initiative supported by the Government of Canada that will bring humanitarian aid to underserved areas of the Caribbean and Latin America.
Travelling onboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort, CF physicians, nurses, medical technicians and dental personnel will join representatives of the U.S. military, the U.S. Public Health Service, host-nation medical authorities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide medical, dental, construction and other humanitarian assistance to countries including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Antigua and El Salvador.
“In addition to fostering better interoperability between our armed forces, this joint venture allows Canadian Forces personnel to bring help to remote areas where people are in real need of medical and dental attention,” said the Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, the Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway.
“The challenging and rewarding environment of this exercise will provide Canadian Forces Health Services personnel with many opportunities to learn a great deal, both professionally and personally,” said Brigadier-General Hilary Jaeger, Commander of CF Health Services Group.
The first group of 16 CF personnel will be onboard USNS Comfort from April 1 to May 23, with a second group of 14 CF personnel joining the hospital ship on May 22 to complete the deployment.
Exercise Continuing Promise is a yearly mission. CF Health Services has been involved in this deployment for the past four years and is one of the largest American allies to take part.
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For more information, please contact Major André Berdais, CF Health Services Group Public Affairs Officer, at (613) 945-6388.
