Ministerio de Salud y Comando Sur de los EE. UU. llevan servicios médicos gratuitos a 1,900 personas de La Vega
La Vega.-Around 1,900 people in this district benefited from free medical services during the Amistad 2026 health cooperation mission, developed by the Ministry of Health, in coordination with the United States Southern Command, bringing care in different specialties to the communities of this province.
The event allowed hundreds of people from different communities in this district to have access to consultations and services in areas such as general and family medicine, dentistry, ophthalmology, pediatrics, psychology and dermatology, in addition to receiving guidance on prevention and health care.
The closing activity was led by the Minister of Public Health, Víctor Atallah; the ambassador of the United States of America, Leah Campos; the governor of La Vega Luisa Jiménez; Southern Command Brigadier General Tara Nolan; the provincial director of La Vega, Mairení Pérez, and the director of the Dr. Luis Morillo King Regional University Hospital, Haidé Paulino, together with civil and military authorities from both countries.
The Minister of Health reaffirmed the willingness of the Dominican authorities to continue promoting this type of health cooperation initiatives, considering that they contribute to both improving health care and strengthening relations between both countries.
“We will always be willing and open for these missions to continue and for our doctors who are here to understand that treating people is a commitment,” Atallah stated.
Likewise, Campos highlighted that the Amistad 2026 mission represents a concrete example of the cooperation between both nations, by combining direct assistance to communities with the strengthening of the capabilities of medical teams.
"During the past two weeks we have witnessed another chapter of the deep friendship between the United States and the Dominican Republic. A friendship based on the shared commitment to the well-being of our people. It is important to create an effective alliance before a crisis and not during it," he maintained.
While Brigadier General Tara Nolan highlighted that this initiative not only allowed thousands of people to be provided with medical assistance, but also contributed to strengthening the ties of cooperation between the Dominican Republic and the United States.
"Today is not simply the end of a two-week mission. It is one more step in the strong cooperative relationship between the United States and the Dominican Republic. The greatest success of Amistad is not the number of patients served; it is the trust we build together. Trust between health professionals, trust between our institutions and trust between our nations," Nolan stated.
The mission, carried out from August 3 to 14, 2026, is part of a cooperation program led by the United States Air Forces Southern (AFSOUTH), within the framework of the Southern Command mission of the United States (SOUTHCOM), aimed at strengthening operational medical preparation, promoting the exchange of clinical experiences and contributing to strengthening the capacity of the health systems of both countries.
During the day, health professionals from the Dominican Republic and the United States worked together at the Dr. Luis Morillo King Regional University Hospital and the Dra. Almida García Municipal Hospital, developing direct patient care actions, training and exchange of knowledge and clinical experiences.
The mission also made it possible to strengthen the capabilities of health personnel through joint work and the exchange of best practices among participating medical teams, contributing to the preparation and strengthening of health systems.
The closing ceremony featured the participation of Amparo Custodio, mayor of the municipality of La Vega; Carlos Onofre, minister of Defense; the vice ministers Gina Estrella, of Risk Management and Disaster Assistance, the vice minister of Wellbeing and Healthy Longevity, Andelys de la Rosa; the vice minister of Quality Assurance, José Antonio Matos and Ney Eugenio Deschamps, administrative-financial director and representatives of both countries.
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LaVega.-Alrededorde1,900 personasdeestademarcaciónsebeneficiarondeserviciosmédicosgratuitosdurantelamisióndecooperaciónsanitariaAmistad 2026,desarrolladaporelMinisteriode Salud,encoordinacióncon elComandoSur delosEstadosUnidos,acercandoatenciónendistintasespecialidadesa las comunidades deestaprovincia. La jornadapermitióquecientosde personas dedistintascomunidades deestademarcacióntuvieranaccesoaconsultasyserviciosenáreascomomedicinageneral y familiar,odontología,oftalmología,pediatría,psicologíaydermatología,ademásderecibirorientaciónsobreprevenciónycuidadode lasalud. Laactividaddeclausurafueencabezadaporelministrode Salud Pública,Víctor Atallah; laembajadoradelosEstadosUnidos de América,Leah Campos; la gobernadora de La VegaLuisa Jiménez; la general debrigadadelComandoSur,Tara Nolan; el director provincial de La Vega,MaireníPérezy ladirectoradel Hospital Regional Universitario Dr. Luis Morillo King,Haidé Paulino, juntoaautoridadescivilesymilitaresde ambospaíses. Elministrode Salud,reafirmóladisposiciónde lasautoridadesdominicanasdecontinuarimpulsandoestetipodeiniciativasdecooperaciónsanitaria, alconsiderarquecontribuyentanto amejorarlaatencióndesaludcomoafortalecerlasrelacionesentre ambospaíses. “Estaremossiempredispuestosyabiertosaqueestasmisionessecontinúenyquenuestrosmédicosqueestánaquíentiendanquellevarsaluda las personas es uncompromiso”,afirmóAtallah. Igualmente Campos,resaltóquelamisiónAmistad 2026representaunamuestraconcretade lacooperaciónentre ambasnaciones, alcombinarlaasistenciadirectaa las comunidades con elfortalecimientode lascapacidadesdelosequiposmédicos. “Durante laspasadasdossemanashemossidotestigosdeotrocapítulode la profundaamistadentreEstadosUnidos y la República Dominicana. Unaamistadbasadaenelcompromisocompartidocon elbienestardenuestrospueblos. Esimportantecrearunaalianzaefectivaantes deunacrisis y nodurantelamisma”,sostuvo. Mientrasquela general debrigadaTara Nolanresaltóqueestainiciativano solopermitióbrindarasistenciamédicaamilesde personas,sinoquetambiéncontribuyóaestrecharloslazosdecooperaciónentre República Dominicana yEstadosUnidos. “Hoy no essimplementeel final deunamisiónde dossemanas. Es un pasomásenlasólidarelacióndecooperaciónentrelosEstadosUnidos y la República Dominicana. El mayoréxitode Amistad no es lacantidaddepacientesatendidos; es la confianzaqueconstruimosjuntos. Confianza entreprofesionalesde lasalud, confianza entrenuestrasinstitucionesy confianza entrenuestrasnaciones”,afirmóNolan. Lamisión,desarrolladadel 3 al 14 deagostode 2026, formapartede unprogramadecooperaciónlideradoporlasFuerzasAéreasdel Sur delosEstadosUnidos (AFSOUTH),enelmarcode lamisióndelComandoSur delosEstadosUnidos(SOUTHCOM),orientadoafortalecerlapreparaciónmédicaoperativa,fomentarelintercambiodeexperienciasclínicasycontribuiralfortalecimientode lascapacidadesdelossistemasdesaludde ambospaíses. Durante la jornada,profesionalesde lasaludde República Dominicana yEstadosUnidostrabajarondemaneraconjuntaenelHospital Regional Universitario Dr. Luis Morillo King y el Municipal Dra. Almida García,desarrollandoaccionesdeatencióndirectaapacientes,capacitacióneintercambiodeconocimientosyexperienciasclínicas. Lamisióntambiénpermitiófortalecerlascapacidadesdel personalsanitariomedianteeltrabajoconjuntoy elintercambiodemejoresprácticasentrelosequiposmédicosparticipantes,contribuyendoa lapreparacióny alfortalecimientodelossistemasdesalud. Elactodecierrecontócon laparticipacióndeAmparo Custodio,alcaldesadel municipio La Vega;Carlos Onofre,ministrode Defensa;losviceministrosGina Estrella, deGestióndeRiesgosyAtenciónaDesastres, laviceministradeBienestaryLongevidadSaludable,Andelysde la Rosa; elviceministrodeGarantíade la Calidad,José Antonio Matos y Ney Eugenio Deschamps,directoradministrativo-financieroyrepresentantesde ambospaíses.