Organized by the Ministry of Defense and with the participation of different ministries, different Navy ships set sail to bring primary and social medical care to riverside communities that are difficult to access and in vulnerable situations.
At the facilities of the Apostadero Naval Buenos Aires, the departure ceremony of the multipurpose ARA “Ciudad de Zárate”, the patrol boat ARA “King” and the patrol boat ARA “Río Santiago” was held, on the occasion of the start of the Fluvial Sanitary Socio-Sanitary Campaign 2023.
The event was chaired by the Commander of Training and Enlistment of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jorge Juan Siekan, accompanied by the Operational Commander of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General Jorge Fabián Berredo. Also present were the Commander of the Naval River Area, Navy Commodore Daniel Finardi; the Chief of Staff of the Operational Command of the Armed Forces, Marine Commodore IM Leonardo Natán Gómez; and the Major Staffs and endowments of the participating units.
After singing the stanzas of the Argentine National Anthem, performed by the Band of the General Staff of the Navy, the order of departure of the naval units belonging to the River Squadron was read. Once authorization to set sail was requested, the ceremony culminated with the March of the Navy.
Based on the importance acquired by carrying out these activities in recent years, the Ministry of Defense, through the Military Coordination Area of Emergency Assistance of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, implements with the responsible areas of other ministries the realization of annual health campaigns with the intention of giving continuity to the assistance tasks carried out years ago; in addition to strengthening, through community support, the presence of the National State in riverside localities of northeastern Argentina on the Paraná and Paraguay rivers.
The main objective of the campaign is to provide clinical, dental, gynecological, pediatric and ophthalmological care and prevention to the inhabitants of the localities that, due to their geographical location, have difficulties in accessing the nearest medical centers by land, in addition to facilitating the inhabitants to obtain the National Identity Document through the RENAPER (National Registry of Persons) and access to procedures of the ANSES (Administration National Social Security). Also, this year will include the prevention and control of zoonoses.
On this occasion, health care will be provided to residents of riverside communities in the provinces of Chaco starting with the City of Puerto Bermejo on July 3 and concluding on July 17 after arriving at the towns of Eva Perón, Las Palmas, Isla del Cerrito, General Vedia, Pedro Pescador, La Leonesa, San Pedro Pescador, Soto Island, Espinillo and Bermejito River.
The multipurpose vessel carries on board a container called the Mobile Health Unit and also has the assistance of medical professionals and nursing personnel of the Navy, which will be joined by health professionals, social assistance and technical teams of the Argentine Army and the ministries involved.
The sanitary container, six meters long, is equipped with a dental chair, an X-ray equipment, a stretcher for medical care and a bottle with medical oxygen. It also has a refrigerator for vaccine conservation and a sterilizing oven, in addition to having hot / cold air conditioning equipment that provides the necessary air conditioning and compressed air services, which provide electricity and water. They also have a refrigerated container and a generator.
Members of the Marine Infantry Battalion No. 3 also participate, who with their small boats play an important role in the transfer of the inhabitants to the ships to receive health care.
In this way, the solidarity and joint work of those who make up the 2023 Socio-Health Campaign will be reflected in each place visited.