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The Global Mercy, the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, made its debut in Africa in the port of Dakar recently. It will stay there for four weeks to train health professionals.
The Global Mercy, the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, made its debut in Africa in the port of Dakar recently. It will stay there for four weeks to train health professionals.
Senegalese President Macky Sall formally welcomed the Global Mercy at a ceremony attended by Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and Comoros President Azali Assouman. The giant ship – measuring 174 meters long and 28.6 meters wide and comprising 12 decks arrived in the port of Dakar and will stay there for four weeks until the end of June, before returning in 2023 to offer surgical care to poor populations.
The Global Mercy hospital covers about 7,000 square meters including six operating theatres, 102 acute care beds, seven intensive care beds, and 90 convalescent beds. The international NGO Mercy Ships works to improve access to health care in developing countries in Africa.
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The hospital ship has been in service since 2007 to help the poorest in West and Central Africa. Mercy Ship wanted to add another ship of “greater capacity” and “with the same objectives. During its stay in Senegal, the crew intends to participate in the training of 260 Senegalese health professionals, alongside the crew of the Africa Mercy, which has been in the port of Dakar since February (until November) and is performing surgery on board. At the end of June, the Global Mercy will return to the Canary Islands for the “complete and final dressing of the ship”. Mercy Ships plans to return in early 2023 to conduct training and surgery: maxillofacial and reconstructive surgery, tumor removal, cleft lip and palate repair, obstetric fistula repair, etc.
