Juan Fernandez. This morning, more than 600 kilometers west of the continent, the transport ship AP-41 “Aquiles” landed in Cumberland Bay, in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, all within the framework of the medical operations to be carried out and transfer of cargo to this island territory.
The arrival of the “Aquiles” occurred after its departure from Molo de Abrigo, in Valparaíso, with more than 170 people on board, including residents of the island and health personnel who will support the local health service.
Along with the above, and according to the tasks described in the Security and Territorial Interests Mission Area, the ship fulfills patrol tasks and exercise of national sovereignty in jurisdictional waters.
medical operations
As a solution to reduce the waiting time in health services, the Medical Director of the Acrux Foundation, Javier González, explained that a group of 43 doctors came to Robinson Crusoe Island to provide care in more than 20 specialties, among them, cardiology, gynecology, psychiatry, adult and child neurology or surgery.
In that sense, Javier González highlighted that “the support of the Navy has been fundamental as a very favorable strategic alliance.” In fact, and thanks to the multipurpose capabilities of the multipurpose ship LSDH-91 “Sargento Aldea”, a medical round was carried out in the Chilean Antarctic Territory.
It should be noted that the AP-41 “Achilles” has a space to perform dental and surgical procedures, so those patients who require minor intervention can be treated by specialists: “We have managed to carry out medical operations in several places in Chile and, to the extent possible, carry out minor surgical interventions on a ship that has favorable conditions to carry them out,” explained Javier González.
Connect the island territory
In a spirit of contributing to national development and State action, the AP-41 “Aquiles” manages to reach the most isolated territories of the country such as – in this case – the Juan Fernández Archipelago. With a transport capacity of up to 40 containers and more than 150 passengers, this Navy Unit connects the continent with the island areas of the country.
For the Commander of the ship, Captain Cyril Jackson, the work carried out by the transport “Achilles” is “a historical commitment of the Navy with the island areas and the ship has been used to support not only the transport of cargo and passengers , but also in countless tasks,” he commented.
In this way, the Navy carries out connection initiatives with island-like territories and, consequently, helps hundreds of inhabitants to continue their lives outside the continent.
