Mercy Ships is an international charity that has been operating hospital ships in developing nations since 1978. The organization brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor by serving all people without regard for race, gender, or religion.
The Mercy Ships Response to Global Surgical Need
The Beginning of a Mission
Mercy Ships began its mission to provide hope and healing to those in need in 1978. Don Stephens founded Mercy Ships in 1978 with the purchase of the Anastasis, where he and his family lived for ten years. Mercy Ships was founded as the maritime division of Youth With A Mission. His vision was realized by providing free, safe surgery and medical care to the most underserved communities in the world.
The purpose of this article is to make known the growing need for help in developing countries and to share my personal experience while working for the Mercy Ships organisation on board the M/V Anastasis.
M/V Anastasis, the first Mercy Ship, in Amsterdam.
The Africa Mercy Project
The Africa Mercy project started in March 1999. A former rail ferry named Dronning Ingrid (Queen Ingrid) was bought in Denmark for US$6.5 million, through a donation from U.K. businesswoman Ann Gloag's Balcraig Foundation.
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The Dronning Ingrid is the first of three identical ships built for DSB (Danish State Railways). The Dronning Ingrid is the third of three identical ships built for DSB.
The ship was fitted out at the Cammell Laird shipyard at Hebburn in Tyneside, England. The ferry's large train deck facilitated its conversion into a hospital ship.
Over the next few years, at a final cost of over US$62 million, the Dronning Ingrid was transformed into the Africa Mercy, which was the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world until the construction of the Global Mercy in 2020.
Facilities Onboard
The lower decks of the eight-deck Africa Mercy are a modern hospital with five operating theaters, an Intensive Care Unit, an Ophthalmology unit, a CT scanner, x-ray, laboratories, and a recovery ward with beds for 82 patients. On its upper decks, the ship has accommodations for 484 crew members including families, couples and individuals. The ship has 126 cabins, a day care center, a school for all ages up through the last year of high school, a library, a launderette, a small supermarket, a restaurant, a gymnasium, shops, and a donated Starbucks café.
The ship is set up to provide onboard surgical care, an Intensive care unit, and a recovery ward. The operating rooms of the Africa Mercy are equipped for specific surgeries that are greatly needed in the countries that the ship visits.
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Operating rooms on Africa Mercy.
Supply and Logistics
The initial provisions that were loaded aboard the Africa Mercy included 3992 kg of breakfast cereal, 419 kg of coffee, and 26.8 tons of frozen meat and fish (which was an estimated four months' supply). Today, the supply chain for the Africa Mercy stretches halfway across the globe. To keep the Africa Mercy provisioned involves shipping to the floating hospital at least 24 12-metre (40 ft) containers per year, equipped with everything from medical devices and medical supplies to food and furniture. Containers are filled at Mercy Ships headquarters in Garden Valley, Texas, and shipped from the port of Houston, or they are filled and shipped from Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Volunteerism
Like past Mercy Ships vessels, the Africa Mercy is staffed by volunteer crewmembers. Mercy Ships volunteers assume responsibility for the costs of their trip to the Africa Mercy, which can include round-trip airfare and other travel costs, immunizations, passports, insurance, etc.
Approximately 400 people live and work onboard the Africa Mercy during its field service period. In addition to surgical and medical services, volunteers handle every task in the daily life of the ship, including crew operations, maintenance and repairs, cooking, housekeeping, teaching in the Preschool through 12th Grade Academy, and the Mercy Ships health education, training, and advocacy projects (ETA) that take place on ship and land.
Volunteer postings for a wide range of jobs generally range from two weeks to two years in length. Some crewmembers extend their service commitments and live for many years on board the ship. Annually Mercy Ships has more than 1,600 volunteers serving on the Africa Mercy hailing from 40-60 nations at any given time. Volunteer crewmembers can also choose to serve as blood donors for the ship's surgical procedures. When they arrive at the ship, they may volunteer to have their blood types tested and recorded.
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Field Services and Impact
When the ship is in port, Mercy Ships also engages local volunteers from the host nation to help with various roles, including translation, driving, cooking, and cleaning. Recruitment for these “national crew” positions happens locally in the three to four months before the ship arrives.
In 2009, the ship was docked in Cotonou, Benin, from February to December, providing free surgeries and medical care. The Africa Mercy was docked in Toamasina, Madagascar, from October 2014 until June 2015. The Africa Mercy was docked in Dakar, Senegal, from August 2019 through March 2020.
Mercy Ships field services are always conducted at the invitation of the host country’s government. Through a collaborative process, Mercy Ships and the nation’s government reach a five-year agreement that begins before the field service and lasts for years afterward. This long-term partnership includes preparation for the field service, and follow-up support once the ship has left.
Broader Mission and Collaboration
Beyond providing free surgical, medical, and dental care, the mission of Mercy Ships involves partnering with local governments in the nations they serve to improve local healthcare infrastructure. Expanding medical capacity typically includes renovating healthcare facilities in developing nations, as well as improving access to safe, affordable healthcare. Mercy Ships development teams collaborate with local leaders, governments, and the national ministries of health to evaluate healthcare infrastructure needs and design projects that support the surgical ecosystem in a partner hospital, or multiple hospitals.
When our ships depart a site, we strive to help leave an improved healthcare system in our wake. Before, during, and after our field services, Mercy Ships implements healthcare training projects that teach the medical knowledge, skills, and attitude needed to provide hope and healing to patients long after our field service. Our Education, Training, and Advocacy projects help strengthen the standards of surgical care within the local communities of the countries we serve. The legacy is a lasting impact that extends for years - and even generations.
Global Impact and Future Endeavors
Mercy Ships has worked in more than 70 countries. It has provided services valued at more than $1.53 billion, with more than 2.71 million direct beneficiaries. At any given time during its 40-year-plus history, Mercy Ships has had between one and three ships in service.
Key Statistics and Achievements
The following table highlights some of the key statistics and achievements of Mercy Ships:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Countries Served | 70+ |
| Value of Services Provided | $1.53 Billion |
| Direct Beneficiaries | 2.71 Million |
| Surgeries Performed Annually (in 2016) | 1,551 |
| Dental Procedures Performed Annually (in 2016) | 22,466 |
| Medical Consultations Made Annually (in 2016) | 6,900+ |
| Healthcare Professionals Trained Annually (in 2016) | 1,700+ |
With both the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy serving along the coast of Africa, our capacity has doubled, and more lives than ever before are being changed forever.
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