US Navy Hospital Ship Sits Empty Off Coast Of Puerto Rico

Nearly 30% of the American citizens inhabiting the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico still do not have potable drinking water, and as much as 86% of Puerto Rican people have remained without electricity over the month's time that has passed since category 4 Hurricane Maria brought destruction upon the land. Thus, with 3.4 million inhabitants, and not nearly enough space in the medical facilities scattered around the island, the United States has truly been staring at a crisis that can take a devastating turn at any time.

The U.S. federal government, in conjunction with the military, recently came up with a solution that would at least alleviate some of the hospitals so that more people could be treated. The USNS Comfort is a naval vessel that was dispensed to the island two weeks ago. It is a ship that has been converted into a floating hospital, and there are 250 beds aboard. The thing is, while locals have decried the lack of resources, manpower, and expertise to deal with all of the problems that have crippled the island, the USNS Comfort has remained relatively empty, with only 33 of its beds occupied coming into Monday, October 16.

The USNS Comfort is a naval vessel that was dispensed to the island two weeks ago. It is a ship that has been converted into a floating hospital, and there are 250 beds aboard. The thing is, while locals have decried the lack of resources, manpower, and expertise to deal with all of the problems that have crippled the island, the USNS Comfort has remained relatively empty, with only 33 of its beds occupied as of Monday (Oct. 16).

Personnel on the ship have stated that they've been waiting to receive patients, but for whatever reason, there's been a holdup. According to Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, the stagnancy has to do with problems concerning "communication flow" between doctors and the Department of Health. Rossello has vowed to have citizens utilizing the ship as soon as he is able. “I asked for a complete revision of that so that we can start sending more patients over there,” he tells CNN.