Summary:
The government of Sierra Leone and Mercy Ships extended its current protocol agreements for their newest hospital ship, the Global Mercy. H.E. President Julius Maada Bio: “This alliance will help our objective to guarantee a functional national health system delivering efficient, high-quality healthcare services”. Mercy Ships, an international faith-based organization, runs hospital ships to provide accessible, top-notch healthcare treatments. Surgeons, dentists, nurses, health educators, chefs, and engineers are just a few of the professionals who donate their time and expertise to the cause.
The government of Sierra Leone and Mercy Ships extended its current protocol agreements for their newest hospital ship, the Global Mercy®, to visit Sierra Leone during an audience with His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
“We are grateful to Mercy Ships for your ongoing humanitarian and medical assistance in treating patients with a range of medical ailments all across the world. This pre-covid partnership agreement comprises a 10-month Global Mercy deployment providing no-cost surgical care in collaboration with regional organizations in Sierra Leone. The hospital ship will be a teaching ground for our medical personnel as we expand our capacity. Programs guarantee that Mercy Ships’ beneficial effects last long after the ship departs Sierra Leone’s shores. According to H.E. President Julius Maada Bio, “This alliance will help our objective to guarantee a functional national health system delivering efficient, high-quality healthcare services that are accessible, equitable, and affordable for all.”
Gert van de Weerdhof, CEO of Mercy Ships, emphasized the collaboration with the government of Sierra Leone.
“We are happy to announce our plans to visit Sierra Leone. It will be our sixth time cooperating with this country on the field. Now that we have completed our assessment of the situation, we can go on to figure out how to effectively help individuals who are in dire need of surgical care by providing them with hope and healing.
Thousands of patients will receive free surgical care when the Global Mercy docks in the port of the host country, and the crew also offer training to local healthcare professionals.
Thanks to donations from all over the world and the support of the volunteer medical staff onboard their hospital ships, Mercy Ships can offer all of its services to participants at no cost.
According to Dr. Sandra Lako, Mercy Ships’ Country Director in Sierra Leone, “This long-standing cooperation prepares the way for Mercy Ships to continue to interact closely with the government of Sierra Leone and to deepen our combined commitment to improving access to safe surgical care.”
Dr. Mark Shrime, International Chief Medical Officer for Mercy Ships, emphasized that “a collaborative approach is the finest way to enhance health systems.” Meetings were organized by Dame Ann Gloag, a worldwide board of Mercy Ships member and a long-time aid worker in Sierra Leone.
A Mercy Ship has previously docked at Freetown, Sierra Leone, in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2011.
Before visiting Sierra Leone, Global Mercy is expected to spend some time in Dakar, Senegal, in the early months of 2023.
Regarding Mercy Ships:
In contrast to surgical treatment, which has not received the necessary attention in low-resource nations, global health has focused on specific diseases over the last two decades. Each year, about 17 million people die due to inadequate surgical care.
Mercy Ships, an international faith-based organization, runs hospital ships to provide accessible, top-notch healthcare treatments, medical capacity building, and health system strengthening to those with limited access to safe surgical care. Since its founding in 1978, Mercy Ships has operated in more than 55 nations, spending the last three decades exclusively collaborating with African governments. The Africa Mercy® and the Global MercyTM, the two largest non-governmental hospital ships worldwide, are staffed by volunteer experts from more than 60 nations each year. Surgeons, dentists, nurses, health educators, chefs, and engineers are just a few of the professionals who donate their time and expertise to the cause. There are 16 locations for Mercy Ships, in addition to an Africa Bureau.
Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
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