Pacific Partnership 2018 (PP 18) made a mission stop in Trincomalee, with the arrival of USNS Mercy, the lead ship of her class of hospital ships in the United States Navy, on April 25.
Uniting partners through a number of community services and social responsibility projects, the mission of Pacific Partnership 2018 drew its curtains in Trincomalee on May 8.
The closing ceremony was held under the auspices of Eastern Province Governor Rohitha Bogollagama.
PP-18 is the largest annual multilateral Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, aiming to enhance regional coordination in areas such as medical readiness and preparedness for disaster situations.
The partner military and non-government personnel from Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Peru, United Kingdom and United States took part in this year’s programme working side-by-side with Sri Lankan professionals, participating in civil engineering projects, conducting HA/DR readiness drills, and partnering in a number of community engagements. Accordingly, they conducted a range of social responsibility initiatives and cultural events enhancing facilities for schools, hospitals, community centres and locals in and around the Trincomalee district.
During the ship’s stay, USN doctors along with Lankan doctors performed 24 varying surgeries onboard, out of which the robotic surgery performed onboard was the 1st in the world.
They also treated over 5,500 patients conducting medical clinics at various locations in and around Trincomalee in addition to over 500 veterinary surgeries and vaccinations.
Meanwhile, the special musical performances presented by the US 7th Fleet Band partnering with the Sri Lanka Navy united partners through the language of music during the PP-18. A large number of music lovers enjoyed this rare opportunity in which they tasted a blend of US-Sri Lankan music genres.
District Secretary Trincomalee, N. A. A. Pushpakumara, Deputy Chief of Staff and Director General Operations of the Navy Rear Admiral Piyal de Silva, Commander Eastern Naval Area Rear Admiral Niraja Attygalle, Director Generals, senior officers from the Naval Headquarters and Eastern Naval Command also attended.
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