The Chilean Navy treated 87 patients out of 110 scheduled appointments during the opening day of a joint medical and dental operation across the communes of Castro and Chonchi, armada.cl reported. The deployment, which began on the afternoon of October 23, aims to reduce public healthcare waiting lists in isolated areas.
Corvette Captain Andrea Azócar, field coordinator for the naval health personnel deployment, stated that 28 naval servers took part in the initiative. The medical team included specialists, nursing professionals, and technical personnel dispatched from naval hospitals in Viña del Mar, Talcahuano, and Punta Arenas.
The strategic projection ship Sargento Aldea arrived in Chonchi to anchor its multi-role capabilities for the Los Lagos Region. Operating as a mobile humanitarian support platform, the vessel hosted four molar extractions performed by naval dental surgeon Lieutenant First Class Cristóbal Sepúlveda and dental technician Second Cabo Diego Ayala.
Joselin Cortés, a resident of Chonchi who waited more than 300 days for a complex third molar exodontia, received her procedure aboard the vessel. Fue una grata sorpresa enterarme de que la intervención sería en este buque de la Armada,
Cortés said of the experience.
Navy Captain Francisco Abarca, commander of the unit, emphasized that the ship provides essential hospital capabilities to isolated zones. Lieutenant Sepúlveda noted that the operation targets regions with lower connectivity to ease pressure on public waiting lists.
Specialist Consultations and Surgery at Castro Hospital
Medical specialists at the hospital in Castro delivered consultations in ophthalmology, otolaryngology, dermatology, and traumatology. A multidisciplinary surgical team successfully completed a knee surgery at the provincial capital’s hospital, where naval health professionals evaluated more than 50 patients.
Complementary activities involved educational visits to the Sargento Aldea for student delegations from nearby schools. Paulina Alvarado, director of Escuela San Carlos de Chonchi, noted that the visit introduced seventh-grade students to the work of the Chilean Navy.
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