Continuing Promise '08
Humanitarian Mission of the USS Kearsarge
On Sunday, November 9, the U.S. Navy ship Kearsarge, with its 1500 personnel sailed into Guyana’s waters, to commence the final leg of its six-nation humanitarian mission, called “Continuing Promise,” to Latin America and the Caribbean. The mission to Guyana was officially launched on Monday, November 10, with an Opening Ceremony at the East Ruimveldt Community Center. The main speakers at the ceremony were U.S Ambassador to Guyana, John Melvin Jones, Guyana’s Prime Minister, the Hon. Samuel Hinds, Commander of the USS Kearsarge Fernandez Ponds and Guyana’s Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy. Modeled in part after the 2007 visit of the USNS Comfort to the region, the Kearsarge’s stay was several days longer than the Comfort mission – about two weeks in total.
Nestled about seventeen miles offshore due to Guyana’s shallow coastline, military personnel from the Kearsarge provided free medical and dental care to adults and children in Region One, including sites in Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, and Santa Rosa, from Monday, November 10 through Friday, November 21.
Approximately 150 medical personnel participated in the exercise, including members of the U.S. military and personnel from Brazil, Canada, and the Netherlands. There were also volunteers from two U.S.-based NGOs, Project Hope and International Aid. The medical services were free and included: general medicine, pediatrics, optometry, and dentistry services. Teams also provided free pharmaceuticals and vitamins, and performed de-worming treatment for children. A limited number of individuals in need of certain minor surgeries were identified from among those seeking care; the selected individuals were transported by helicopter to and from the ship, where the surgeries were performed. In addition, about 60 military engineering and construction troops supported the humanitarian mission by performing civic action repairs and minor construction projects in Regions Three and Four. The mission was a true partnership, as officials and medical personnel from Guyana’s Ministry of Health played a central role in the mission’s execution, and the Guyana Defence Force provided critical support.
By the time the ship had departed Guyanese waters on Sunday, November 22, some 6,600 residents of Region One (more than a quarter of its population) had been treated at the various clinics or on the ship, while five different locations had benefited from rehabilitation and renovations.
The Kearsarge’s mission was initiated in recognition of the shared history and close relationship between the United States and its hemispheric neighbors. Part of Continuing Promise's mission was to enhance collaboration and coordination between governments, health service providers, and military personnel. The mission also further demonstrated the priority that the United States places on improving health in Guyana through service delivery, and through ongoing investments in health systems from the PEPFAR initiative in the country.
back to top^