Mercy Ships
Encyclopedia
Mercy Ships is an international charity that was founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens. Mercy Ships currently operates the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world, providing free health care, community development projects, community health education, mental health programs, agriculture projects, and palliative care for terminally ill patients.
Mercy Ships has operated in more than 70 developing nations around the world, with a current focus on the countries of West Africa
.
The organization has its International Operations Center (IOC) in Garden Valley, Texas
. Mercy Ships also has 17 national resource offices in countries that include Spain
, Britain
, Canada
, Germany
, Switzerland
, the Netherlands
, South Africa
, and Australia
.
A major inspiration for Mercy Ships founder and President Don Stephens was the work of the international hospital ship SS Hope
. Stephens' research showed that 95 of the 100 largest cities in the world were port cities. Therefore, a hospital ship could deliver healthcare very efficiently to large numbers of people. The birth of Stephens' profoundly disabled son, John Paul, also inspired him to move forward with his vision of a floating hospital. A visit with Mother Teresa
in Calcutta, India
, further deepened his commitment to serving the world's neediest people.
The first ocean liner acquired was the Victoria, which was purchased for its scrap value of US$1 million. The nine-deck vessel was transformed into the hospital ship MV Anastasis over a four-year period. The 522-foot ship was equipped with three operating rooms, a dental clinic, an x-ray machine, a laboratory and 40 patient beds. The ship's 350-member crew included Mercy Ships founders Don and Deyon Stephens, who lived on board the ship with their four young children for ten years.
In 1983, the Anastasis (the Greek word for "resurrection") began operations in the South Pacific, then moved to Central America and the Caribbean Sea in the mid-80’s. The ship moved on to Africa in 1991 and remained in service there until 2007, when it was replaced by the new Africa Mercy. The final port of call for the Anastasis was Monrovia, Liberia. In May 2007, the Africa Mercy sailed into the port in Monrovia to meet up with the Anastasis, enabling crew, equipment and supplies to be transferred from the oldest Mercy Ship to the newest one.
Mercy Ships purchased the Norwegian coastal ferry Polarlys in 1994 and transformed it into the MV Caribbean Mercy, a hospital ship serving Central American and Caribbean ports. The ship offered berths for 150 crew and was equipped initially for field medical clinics. Over the course of several years, the ship was equipped with modern eye-surgery capabilities. The first eye surgery was performed on board The Caribbean Mercy in early 1997, while the ship was docked in Guatemala. On land, volunteers from the Caribbean Mercy also provided dental, orthopedic and healthcare services. The Caribbean Mercy visited 138 ports of call and remained in service until May 2005.
In 1983, the Canadian ferry Petite Forte was donated to Mercy Ships to provide relief operations in the Caribbean. Initially christened the Good Samaritan, the ship was re-christened the MV Island Mercy in 1994. The 60-berth vessel remained in service until spring of 2001. The countries it served included Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Guyana and Haiti. The ship also reached beyond the Caribbean with relief and medical operations in Guinea-Bissau, Western Samoa, the Tokelau Islands and New Zealand.
The Africa Mercy is serving in Freetown
, Sierra Leone
for its 2011 field service, which is scheduled to last for 10 months. At the conclusion of each field service, the Africa Mercy goes into dry dock, where it is resupplied and receives any needed repairs or upgrades before heading to its next port of call. The Africa Mercy is scheduled to dock in Guinea during 2012.
Early in 2010, the ship was docked in Lomé, Togo for the 2010 field service. In August 2010, the Africa Mercy went into shipyard in South Africa, where it was equipped with new, more efficient generators. In 2009, the ship was docked in Cotonou
, Benin
from February to December, providing free surgeries and medical care. Mercy Ships also worked with Beninese citizens on agriculture and water development projects on the ground in Benin. In 2007, the ship made its official maiden voyage to Monrovia, Liberia, from the shipyard in England. In 2008, the Africa Mercy continued its service to Liberia--offering free surgeries, assistance in healthcare infrastructure development, and community-based preventive health care programs that benefited thousands of individuals and many communities. More than 1,200 surgical procedures and 10,000 dental procedures were completed, along with community health projects such as HIV/AIDS prevention and construction of wells and latrines.
Before the Africa Mercy arrives in port, flyers are distributed to alert the public to the ship's upcoming visit. An advance team begins a massive screening of thousands of prospective patients, to see which men, women and children qualify for a surgery. It is common for people to walk for days (and even from neighboring countries) to find out whether they may be eligible for surgical treatment.
, crossed eyes (Strabismus
), bowed legs (genu varum), burn
s and burn scars, childbirth injuries and dental problems. Many of these ailments are extremely severe because patients have had little prior access to medical care. People with disfiguring medical conditions have often been shunned by their communities, so medical treatment from Mercy Ships can also help relieve the stigma and isolation that they have experienced.
The lower decks of the Africa Mercy are equipped with six operating theaters, a 78-bed recovery ward, two CT scanners, an X-ray machine and a laboratory. During its field service in Sierra Leone between February and June 2011, the Africa Mercy crew performed more than 750 surgeries and 12,000 dental procedures. They also trained more than 500 people in mental health, agriculture and church leadership. In addition, Mercy Ships infrastructure initiatives included construction projects and working to improve sanitation and hygiene.
On the upper decks of the Africa Mercy, the ship has 126 cabins that provide accommodations for 484 crew, including families, couples and individuals. The ship is equipped with a day care center, a school for all grades through senior year of high school, a library, a launderette, a small supermarket, a restaurant, a gymnasium, shops and a donated Starbucks
cafe. A fleet of 28 vehicles travels with the ship, for use in Mercy Ships land-based operations.
Mercy Ships offers short-term (two weeks to two years) and long-term (minimum two years) volunteer arrangements. Mercy Ships needs volunteers for both medical and non-medical jobs. Due to the nature of the ship, positions for surgeons, dentists, and nurses are often readily available, but jobs such as seamen, teachers, cooks, engineers and agriculturalists are also available. Volunteer crew often serve as blood donors, since there is a high demand for donated blood due to limited space to maintain a blood bank on board.
The organization's partner in Sierra Leone is the Aberdeen Women's Centre, formerly the Aberdeen West Africa Fistula Center. The Aberdeen Women's Centre is one of the few locations on the African continent offering obstetric fistula
repair for women who have been injured during childbirth. Started by Mercy Ships with the Ministry of Health, Addax Foundation and other partners, the Fistula Centre is now operated by the Gloag Foundation (UK).
Mercy Ships vessels have completed over 563 port visits in 53 developing nations and 17 developed nations. Its volunteers have performed services valued at more than $834 million, impacting about 2.9 million people. Mercy Ships volunteers have performed more than 56,000 free operations, such as cleft lip and palate, cataract removal, straightening of crossed eyes, and orthopedic and facial reconstruction.
The organization is active on land, as well as on board the ship. Volunteers have treated over 520,000 patients in mobile medical and dental clinics set up in the communities near ports where the hospital ship has docked. They have also have trained local medical professionals in modern healthcare techniques. Volunteers have educated about 29,000 local healthcare workers, who have in turn trained multiple thousands in primary healthcare. As of spring 2011, they have completed nearly 1,100 community development projects focusing on water and sanitation, education, infrastructure development and agriculture.
Originally a part of the YWAM (Youth with a Mission
) family of Christian ministries, Mercy Ships is now a standalone organization. Mercy Ships is a Better Business Bureau accredited charity. The organization has built a broad base of financial support, beginning with donations from the public and from crew members. Medical companies donate pharmaceuticals, equipment and supplies to Mercy Ships. Corporations also make in-kind donations of materials such as fuel, food and building supplies. In addition, governments that work with Mercy Ships also waive port fees and associated costs for the ship to dock.
Mercy Ships has operated in more than 70 developing nations around the world, with a current focus on the countries of West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
.
The organization has its International Operations Center (IOC) in Garden Valley, Texas
Garden Valley, Texas
Garden Valley is a crossroads community about 9 miles west of Lindale.Historically, prior to the formation of nearby town of Van in the late 1920s when oil was discovered there, Garden Valley was a town with a post office, stage coach station and a hotel...
. Mercy Ships also has 17 national resource offices in countries that include Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
A major inspiration for Mercy Ships founder and President Don Stephens was the work of the international hospital ship SS Hope
SS Hope
The SS Hope was a hospital ship operated by Project HOPE .The Hope was originally built as a US Navy hospital ship, USS Consolation . The Consolation was donated to Project Hope in 1958, and served from 1960 until 1974, when she was retired...
. Stephens' research showed that 95 of the 100 largest cities in the world were port cities. Therefore, a hospital ship could deliver healthcare very efficiently to large numbers of people. The birth of Stephens' profoundly disabled son, John Paul, also inspired him to move forward with his vision of a floating hospital. A visit with Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
in Calcutta, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, further deepened his commitment to serving the world's neediest people.
Past Mercy Ships
Mercy Ships, which is a Christian humanitarian organization, has outfitted and operated a total of four hospital ships to serve developing nations since 1978. Mercy Ships uses retired ocean liners and ferries that have been transformed into floating hospitals.The first ocean liner acquired was the Victoria, which was purchased for its scrap value of US$1 million. The nine-deck vessel was transformed into the hospital ship MV Anastasis over a four-year period. The 522-foot ship was equipped with three operating rooms, a dental clinic, an x-ray machine, a laboratory and 40 patient beds. The ship's 350-member crew included Mercy Ships founders Don and Deyon Stephens, who lived on board the ship with their four young children for ten years.
In 1983, the Anastasis (the Greek word for "resurrection") began operations in the South Pacific, then moved to Central America and the Caribbean Sea in the mid-80’s. The ship moved on to Africa in 1991 and remained in service there until 2007, when it was replaced by the new Africa Mercy. The final port of call for the Anastasis was Monrovia, Liberia. In May 2007, the Africa Mercy sailed into the port in Monrovia to meet up with the Anastasis, enabling crew, equipment and supplies to be transferred from the oldest Mercy Ship to the newest one.
Mercy Ships purchased the Norwegian coastal ferry Polarlys in 1994 and transformed it into the MV Caribbean Mercy, a hospital ship serving Central American and Caribbean ports. The ship offered berths for 150 crew and was equipped initially for field medical clinics. Over the course of several years, the ship was equipped with modern eye-surgery capabilities. The first eye surgery was performed on board The Caribbean Mercy in early 1997, while the ship was docked in Guatemala. On land, volunteers from the Caribbean Mercy also provided dental, orthopedic and healthcare services. The Caribbean Mercy visited 138 ports of call and remained in service until May 2005.
In 1983, the Canadian ferry Petite Forte was donated to Mercy Ships to provide relief operations in the Caribbean. Initially christened the Good Samaritan, the ship was re-christened the MV Island Mercy in 1994. The 60-berth vessel remained in service until spring of 2001. The countries it served included Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Guyana and Haiti. The ship also reached beyond the Caribbean with relief and medical operations in Guinea-Bissau, Western Samoa, the Tokelau Islands and New Zealand.
The Africa Mercy
Mercy Ships currently has one vessel in service: the 16,500-ton flagship Africa Mercy, which measures almost 500 feet long. The Africa Mercy has greater capacity than all three previous Mercy Ships combined.The Africa Mercy is serving in Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
for its 2011 field service, which is scheduled to last for 10 months. At the conclusion of each field service, the Africa Mercy goes into dry dock, where it is resupplied and receives any needed repairs or upgrades before heading to its next port of call. The Africa Mercy is scheduled to dock in Guinea during 2012.
Early in 2010, the ship was docked in Lomé, Togo for the 2010 field service. In August 2010, the Africa Mercy went into shipyard in South Africa, where it was equipped with new, more efficient generators. In 2009, the ship was docked in Cotonou
Cotonou
-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
, Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
from February to December, providing free surgeries and medical care. Mercy Ships also worked with Beninese citizens on agriculture and water development projects on the ground in Benin. In 2007, the ship made its official maiden voyage to Monrovia, Liberia, from the shipyard in England. In 2008, the Africa Mercy continued its service to Liberia--offering free surgeries, assistance in healthcare infrastructure development, and community-based preventive health care programs that benefited thousands of individuals and many communities. More than 1,200 surgical procedures and 10,000 dental procedures were completed, along with community health projects such as HIV/AIDS prevention and construction of wells and latrines.
Before the Africa Mercy arrives in port, flyers are distributed to alert the public to the ship's upcoming visit. An advance team begins a massive screening of thousands of prospective patients, to see which men, women and children qualify for a surgery. It is common for people to walk for days (and even from neighboring countries) to find out whether they may be eligible for surgical treatment.
Medical Capabilities
Medical personnel on the Africa Mercy provide surgeries and health care to treat a wide range of problems, including cleft lip and palate, cataractCataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
, crossed eyes (Strabismus
Strabismus
Strabismus is a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned with each other. It typically involves a lack of coordination between the extraocular muscles, which prevents bringing the gaze of each eye to the same point in space and preventing proper binocular vision, which may adversely...
), bowed legs (genu varum), burn
Burn
A burn is an injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation, or friction.Burn may also refer to:*Combustion*Burn , type of watercourses so named in Scotland and north-eastern England...
s and burn scars, childbirth injuries and dental problems. Many of these ailments are extremely severe because patients have had little prior access to medical care. People with disfiguring medical conditions have often been shunned by their communities, so medical treatment from Mercy Ships can also help relieve the stigma and isolation that they have experienced.
The lower decks of the Africa Mercy are equipped with six operating theaters, a 78-bed recovery ward, two CT scanners, an X-ray machine and a laboratory. During its field service in Sierra Leone between February and June 2011, the Africa Mercy crew performed more than 750 surgeries and 12,000 dental procedures. They also trained more than 500 people in mental health, agriculture and church leadership. In addition, Mercy Ships infrastructure initiatives included construction projects and working to improve sanitation and hygiene.
On the upper decks of the Africa Mercy, the ship has 126 cabins that provide accommodations for 484 crew, including families, couples and individuals. The ship is equipped with a day care center, a school for all grades through senior year of high school, a library, a launderette, a small supermarket, a restaurant, a gymnasium, shops and a donated Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
cafe. A fleet of 28 vehicles travels with the ship, for use in Mercy Ships land-based operations.
Volunteers
The volunteer crew of the Africa Mercy is made up of 450 volunteers at a time who hail from more than 40 nations. The total number of volunteers in all locations for the organization is about 1,200. About 200 Africans serve as day workers on the ship. In addition to the medical volunteers on the Africa Mercy, Mercy Ships also sends medical crews to aid at natural disaster sites such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.Mercy Ships offers short-term (two weeks to two years) and long-term (minimum two years) volunteer arrangements. Mercy Ships needs volunteers for both medical and non-medical jobs. Due to the nature of the ship, positions for surgeons, dentists, and nurses are often readily available, but jobs such as seamen, teachers, cooks, engineers and agriculturalists are also available. Volunteer crew often serve as blood donors, since there is a high demand for donated blood due to limited space to maintain a blood bank on board.
Sierra Leone
Mercy Ships vessels have visited Sierra Leone five times, beginning in 1992. Mercy Ships has tailored its work in Sierra Leone to support the country's National Health Sector Strategic Plan, which aims to strengthen the national health system.The organization's partner in Sierra Leone is the Aberdeen Women's Centre, formerly the Aberdeen West Africa Fistula Center. The Aberdeen Women's Centre is one of the few locations on the African continent offering obstetric fistula
Fistula
In medicine, a fistula is an abnormal connection or passageway between two epithelium-lined organs or vessels that normally do not connect. It is generally a disease condition, but a fistula may be surgically created for therapeutic reasons.-Locations:Fistulas can develop in various parts of the...
repair for women who have been injured during childbirth. Started by Mercy Ships with the Ministry of Health, Addax Foundation and other partners, the Fistula Centre is now operated by the Gloag Foundation (UK).
Mercy Ships Statistics
Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor, mobilizing people and resources worldwide. The organization treats all patients without cost, and without regard to their religion, race or gender.Mercy Ships vessels have completed over 563 port visits in 53 developing nations and 17 developed nations. Its volunteers have performed services valued at more than $834 million, impacting about 2.9 million people. Mercy Ships volunteers have performed more than 56,000 free operations, such as cleft lip and palate, cataract removal, straightening of crossed eyes, and orthopedic and facial reconstruction.
The organization is active on land, as well as on board the ship. Volunteers have treated over 520,000 patients in mobile medical and dental clinics set up in the communities near ports where the hospital ship has docked. They have also have trained local medical professionals in modern healthcare techniques. Volunteers have educated about 29,000 local healthcare workers, who have in turn trained multiple thousands in primary healthcare. As of spring 2011, they have completed nearly 1,100 community development projects focusing on water and sanitation, education, infrastructure development and agriculture.
Originally a part of the YWAM (Youth with a Mission
Youth With A Mission
Youth With A Mission is an international, inter-denominational, non-profit Christian missionary organization...
) family of Christian ministries, Mercy Ships is now a standalone organization. Mercy Ships is a Better Business Bureau accredited charity. The organization has built a broad base of financial support, beginning with donations from the public and from crew members. Medical companies donate pharmaceuticals, equipment and supplies to Mercy Ships. Corporations also make in-kind donations of materials such as fuel, food and building supplies. In addition, governments that work with Mercy Ships also waive port fees and associated costs for the ship to dock.