The hospital ship Africa Mercy returned from Senegal this past weekend and docked near the new Ships of Hope hospital ship, the Global Mercy, in the port of Granadilla. The Africa Mercy's crew will support the final phase of the Global Mercy's preparation for the start of its free surgical services in Africa, scheduled to begin next February in Senegal. Medical crew members, training and development program managers, and staff from various departments of the Africa Mercy will transfer to the Global Mercy to join the crew already on board, thus helping to ensure a fully operational start to the free surgical services on board the new ship during the Global Mercy's first humanitarian mission in Dakar, Senegal, next year.
The Africa Mercy has been docked in Dakar since February of this year to fulfill surgical commitments that were delayed due to last year's COVID-19 outbreak. This year, Ships of Hope has provided training and guidance to 1,145 Senegalese healthcare professionals to motivate and empower them to perform safer surgeries for their patients.
This included training conducted aboard the Global Mercy, which visited Senegal in May for the 30th anniversary celebrations of Ships of Hope's humanitarian work in Africa, hosted by His Excellency President Macky Sall. The training, orientation, and mentoring took place both on board and in hospitals throughout the country. The 695 patients who received orthopedic, maxillofacial, reconstructive, women's health, and general surgeries this year on the Africa Mercy came from all 14 regions of Senegal, encompassing both rural and urban areas.
“We are grateful that Tenerife continues to be our home port, which, since 1991, has provided services for our hospital ships during many important transitions like this one. Thanks to the support received over all these years, our ships have been able to provide humanitarian aid to our African partners, who are motivated to provide proper care to their patients and continue growing as healthcare professionals. We hope that our new ship will return next year to continue building on the work and relationships achieved to date,” stated Gerardo Vangioni, President of Ships of Hope in Spain.
While the Global Mercy begins its first humanitarian mission, the Africa Mercy will undergo a major refit in Durban, South Africa, before returning to provide medical services on the coast of East Africa.
During the Global Mercy's stay in the port of Granadilla over the past few months, technicians have been equipping the hospital with the latest equipment and testing the proper functioning of all systems. The Global Mercy has six operating rooms, 200 beds, a laboratory, general outpatient clinics, and ophthalmology and dental offices. Both ships are staffed by volunteer crew members from more than 60 countries around the world.
