Brazilian Navy distributes 200,000 medicines in Operation “Acre 2024”
By Second Lieutenant (RM2-T) Leonardo Sá – Brasília, DF
Since January this year, the 24th edition of Operation “Acre” has distributed 200,000 medicines to more than 2,000 residents of isolated towns and communities in Amazonas and Acre, located on the banks of the Juruá River in the Western Amazon. On board the Hospital Assistance Ship (NAsH) “Doutor Montenegro”, members of the Brazilian Navy (MB) will continue to take health promotion actions to riverside and indigenous populations until May 17.
The structure of the NAsH “Doutor Montenegro” is prepared for mammography, ultrasound and X-ray examinations. In the first weeks of the Operation, more than 30,000 health procedures were offered, including medical and dental consultations, as well as clinical, laboratory and preventive examinations. By the end of the Commission, communities should benefit from around 100,000 services.
“We work in regions that are difficult to access, due to the unique characteristics of the Juruá River. The work carried out by our team is an opportunity to complement basic health care in these needy communities,” said the Commander of the NAsH “Doutor Montenegro”, Corvette Captain Ewerton Andrade de Souza.
Operation “Acre” has the participation of 87 MB military personnel, 26 of whom are part of the health team, including doctors, dentists, biochemical pharmacists and nurses. Thirteen nursing, radiology, dental hygiene and laboratory technicians are also taking part.
Operation “Acre” always takes place in the first months of each year, during the flooding of the Juruá river, which makes it possible for the NAsH “Doutor Montenegro” to sail. “The ship’s motto is ‘Health Without Limits’, which highlights the Navy’s ability to bring basic health care to the isolated regions of the Amazon,” explained Commander Andrade.
Ship of Hope
The NAsH “Doutor Montenegro” is equipped with a doctor’s office, dental chairs, a laboratory and a pharmacy, making it suitable for various types of care. In addition, the ship has satellite communication, which allows an effective connection with the medical authorities on land and facilitates the coordination of responses to emergency situations.
The ship has been used in the Navy’s Hospital Care Operations since 2000, when the Acre state government transferred ownership of it to the MB through a concession contract. The vessel’s name was chosen as a tribute to the Acre doctor Manoel Braga Montenegro, who was very prominent in medicine in the state.
Source: Agência Marinha de Notícias *** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***