CASTRIES, Saint Lucia — U.S. Air Force medical and support personnel, in partnership with the Saint Lucia Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, officially launched the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2026 mission during an opening ceremony at the Millennium Heights Medical Complex, April 27.
The two-week engagement integrates U.S. Air Force active-duty and reserve medical teams with host-nation providers to deliver patient care and conduct clinical knowledge exchange across multiple Ministry of Health-designated facilities.
“This is not one nation providing care to another,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Michele Curtis, mission commander. “This is professionals working side by side, building trust, sharing expertise, and strengthening readiness together.”
Medical teams will provide general surgery, primary care, emergency medicine, dentistryand preventive health services while working alongside Saint Lucian providers to exchange techniques and best practices.
“Collaborations such as LAMAT allow us to identify our greatest needs and make the necessary requests,” said Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, chief medical officer for the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs. “These are real people with real issues who need care.”
LAMAT 2026 is part of an eight-week regional health security cooperation campaign spanning four partner nations, designed to enhance U.S. Air Force medical readiness through real-world clinical engagement while supporting Saint Lucia’s capacity to manage health care demands and respond to public health challenges.
The Honorable Moses Jn Baptiste, Minister of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, emphasized the importance of collaboration during times of crisis, noting that partnerships like LAMAT demonstrate the value of sustained international cooperation.
As the final stop in the 2026 LAMAT mission, the Saint Lucia engagement builds on previous missions conducted in Saint Kitts and Nevis, Guyana and Suriname, reinforcing continued U.S. partnership across the Caribbean.
“To all the participants of LAMAT 2026, I encourage you to make the most of this very special occasion in the coming weeks,” said Karin B. Sullivan, Chargé d’Affaires, U.S. Embassy to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.
“The critical skills and knowledge you refine will not only benefit your professional careers, but will also leave a lasting impact on the people of this region.”
Following the ceremony, patient care began at multiple locations, including St. Jude Hospital. where a U.S. Air Force Reserve dental team conducted its first tooth extraction demonstrating the team’s rapid transition from ceremony to clinical operations.
Now in its fourth consecutive year in Saint Lucia, the LAMAT mission reflects an enduring partnership and continued commitment to strengthening health care capacity across the region.