People living with cataracts, heart disease, dental issues, or in need of a diagnosis but unable to afford medical treatment can access free medical care when the US Comfort visits T&T next month.
That’s according to the President of Hands International, a US-based medical mission currently in Trinidad and Tobago.
As he prepared to assist patients from Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean region, President of Hands International, Dr. Reynold Agard, promised that even more international medical assistance is coming.
“We have partnered with the US Embassy and they have graciously offered to bring the US Comfort. It is one of the most beautiful floating hospitals in the world. The US Comfort, it is equipped with a lot of stuff and they can do surgery, especially when we might not have the capacity to do certain types of surgery, but they are equipped. Especially paediatric surgery. They are there with us. The majority of services that we offered and they will be here from August 5th to the 11th. They will be docked at Port of Spain.”
“From August 20th to the 27th, we will have a team of experts. Actually, Dr. Jacobs is one of the world’s leading cataract surgeons and we are hoping that we could handle anywhere from 2,300 to 2,500 cataract surgeries. That one needs some form of registration because we need to know when we come that we would not be screening for cataracts. When we come, it is just to do cataract surgery.”
The doctor noted that patients will need to have been previously diagnosed by an eye doctor to qualify for the surgery.
“We have Zambia coming up, we have Antigua and Barbuda, together with the US military, coming up with the Trade Winds, and you know we recently had lots of countries. But, you know, I make the call, so when Trinidad needs it, we will be here.”
Hands International is at the Community Hospital in Cocorite until Thursday.