[quote=MDinana]
As for the Comfort, don't count on it. It's big, unmanned, and a converted oil tanker, with only space for 1 helo.
.. and 1,000 beds, a dozen operating rooms, equipment & stores kept ready for deployment and a staff/crew that is supposedly kept on 5-day call-up status.
I don't know where it is, or if the crew was recalled.
And I bet Comfort is *far* cheaper to keep in NYC than whatever combination of warships they're sending.
Not to get into too big a pissing match.
The Comfort is actually operated by civilians (Military Sealift Command); the medical aspect is staffed by (mainly) military - sometimes there are civilians that come along. So, at least regarding cost, there are some other factors there.
The military ships you at least have all the people already on them, as opposed to calling them up and draining other resources. Pull on a couple of Fleet Surgical Teams to augment, and away you go.
The way the Comfort (and I assume the Mercy) operate is much more a surgical/acute care business. Very few of those patients get kept more than a few days. It is NOT staffed for long term care, though obviously this can be augmented. Last I heard it was in Baltimore, so the staff would have to get there before going underway. Wikipedia lists 1000 beds, which includes OR and ICU beds.
The LHA's, also, have potentially thousands of beds. Their job is to transport 2000 Marines around the world - basically a floating hotel/air wing. They have several OR's, an ICU, a helo deck AND a well deck (so hovercraft, aka LCAC's, can be used to transport). They're overall much newer than the Comfort. In many respects, a converted old LHA or LHD should replace the Comfort and Mercy.
http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/usnscomfort/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.wasp.navy.mil/http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/10/navy-3-ships-sandy-hurricane-103112w/Now, that being said, from a P.R. point of view, a bit white ship with a red cross looks better than three haze-gray's.
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