Haitian Prime Minister Thanks US Navy For Disaster Assistance

The Prime Minister of Haiti, Jean-Max Bellerive, has paid a visit to the US ”sea base” off the Caribbean island. Bellerive took a firsthand look at the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan’s capabilities.

The US Navy News says the Haitian Prime Minister toured the Bataan’s well deck, where disaster relief supplies are placed on air cushion landing craft and visited patients in the ship’s medical ward. Captain Sam Howard, Bataan's commanding officer, said:

It is great to give the prime minister the opportunity to see firsthand the way we do operations and how we are caring for his fellow citizens. All of us are personally committed to this mission.

Bellerive expressed his thanks to US Navy officials onboard the USS Bataan:

We are very grateful. Your efforts here have been very impressive and they will be long lasting. I don't know if I'm the first to say thank you, but thank you.

According to international naval traditions, the USS Bataan flew Haiti’s flag in honour of Prime Minister Bellerive’s visit. Meanwhile, the American navy’s mercy ship USNS Comfort has discharged or transferred more than 350 patients following treatment for critical injuries caused by last month’s earthquake. A US Navy patient discharge administrator from Los Angeles, Chief Hospital Corpsman Luis G. Bravo, said:

It's important to maintain discharge flow to be able to continue providing adequate medical care to the people of Haiti. Any delay in discharging patients quickly fills up the ship's capacity to continue taking in new patients in critical need of services provided by the Comfort.