The “Global Mercy” docked in the port of Freetown. This marks the third consecutive deployment in Sierra Leone for the aid organization Mercy Ships.
It is continuing its partnership with the government of the West African country in order to sustainably strengthen the healthcare system there and expand access to safe, free surgery. Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world and the population has hardly any access to modern medicine.
After a short maintenance phase in Cadiz, Spain, the hospital ship will remain in Sierra Leone for ten months. Together with national and local authorities, it will be available for specialized surgical care and as a training platform. The hospital ship is 174 meters long and can accommodate up to 200 patients. It was built at the Xingang shipyard in Tijanjin, which belongs to CSSC. The “Global Mercy” sails under the Maltese flag.
“Mercy Ships provides two important services for us,” said Austin Demby, Minister of Health of Sierra Leone. “First, it provides much-needed surgical care to the people of this country. Secondly, it helps train our health workers in the basics of patient care and surgery. By doing this, you are not only providing an important service today, but you are also leaving a legacy. As a government, we are very excited about this. We are extremely grateful for this.”
Since 2023, Global Mercy has performed more than 3,630 donor-funded surgeries for 3,240 people. Mercy Ships’ education and training programs are also helping to strengthen surgical care in Sierra Leone. The organization employs 2,500 people from 60 countries worldwide.
Mercy Ships trains medical staff
Suzanne Thomas, Director of Education, Training and Advocacy at Mercy Ships, emphasizes the long-term vision of the program: “We are excited to offer more training opportunities on board the Global Mercy and look forward to continuing our support for the development of the Connaught Hospital and the accredited training courses for key healthcare professions through the University of Sierra Leone.”
To date, Mercy Ships has delivered more than 63,000 hours of training to over 290 Sierra Leonean health workers. The return to the West African country will allow for continued collaboration with local hospitals and health workers and support the development of surgical and anesthesiology care systems in line with Sierra Leone’s national health priorities.
Surgical operations on the ship
“The highly anticipated return of the ‘Global Mercy’ reflects the shared vision of Mercy Ships and the Ministry of Health to close the gap in surgical care capacity in Sierra Leone,” said Sandra Lako, Mercy Ships Country Director for Sierra Leone. “In addition to providing free, safe surgeries on board the ship, we are working hard to strengthen surgical care in Sierra Leone through training and collaboration. Together with our partners, we are investing in local health workers who will transform lives and create lasting change beyond the deployment of the ship.”
The international volunteers and Sierra Leonean crew members on board are now preparing for the start of surgical operations on the ship. Specialties include oral and maxillofacial surgery, head and neck surgery, general surgery for children and orthopaedic surgery as well as plastic reconstructive surgery, general surgery and eye surgery.
The aid organization is always looking for volunteers in various professional fields for its missions in Africa. Anyone interested in working for Mercy Ships can contact the German office based in Landsberg am Lech or support the organization’s work with a donation. Further information can be found at: mercyships.de
