Mercy ships – A vessel of hope and healing

Nancy Predaina -

Imagine a ship that sails into the poorest nations on earth to deliver world-class health care. Now imagine that the health care is absolutely free.

This may seem impossible, but this is precisely what the international non-profit, Mercy Ships, does.

Since 1978, Mercy Ships has used hospital ships to deliver state-of-the-art medical care to developing countries.

To date, Mercy Ships has performed services valued at more than $1 billion, impacting about 2.35 million people.

The nations served by Mercy Ships are very carefully selected. Most rank at the bottom of the Human Development Index (HDI) as measured by the United Nations. West Africa features predominantly on this index.

Mercy Ships has served numerous African nations including Liberia, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone.

Most people in West Africa have heard of the “big white hospital ship.” In fact, some people wait for months, even years, for the ship to come to their country.

For many people, Mercy Ships is their only hope for medical care.

The M/V Africa Mercy, the current Mercy Ships vessel, is the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship. It contains 6 operating rooms, patient wards, ICU/Recovery, CT-scan and X-ray, and a laboratory.

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