Global health charity Mercy Ships has taken possession of its brand-new vessel at an event at the Tianjin Xingang shipyard, China. The Global Mercy, which is 174 metres long and displaces 37,000 tonnes, is the world’s largest civilian hospital ship.
Mercy Ships has been working on this new project for more than eight years. Contracts were signed in 2013, and the keel laid in 2015. Sea trials were successfully completed in late April this year. The Global Mercy will now sail to Antwerp where it will be fitted out with IT and medical equipment. The ship’s volunteer crew will also start to arrive then, before it will be presented to sponsors, future volunteers and the media in early 2022.
Mercy Ships is a predominantly Christian interdenominational missionary organisation, describing their mission as ‘bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor, following the 2,000-year-old model of Jesus’. The organisation treats all patients free of charge, and without regard to their religion, race, or gender.
In 2015, The Lancet estimated that surgical conditions account for nearly one-third of all disease in the world. Building on the charity’s 30 years’ experience delivering surgical care around Africa, the Global Mercy is equipped with first-class training facilities. Volunteer professionals will contribute alongside local healthcare professionals in the host country. With 12 decks, the ship is equipped with six operating theatres, hospital beds for 200 patients, a full laboratory, and simulation training areas.
More than 640 medical, maritime and other crew will be able to live and serve onboard, with space for up to 950 on ship when it is in port. Currently, Mercy Ships crews come from more than 60 nations.
‘This day is a dream come true – not only for us, but for those we serve,’ stated Don Stephens, Mercy Ships founder, who spoke at the handover event. ‘African heads of states and ministers of health have often expressed a desire for more of their healthcare professionals to be trained in-country. This ship will do exactly that. Many who suffer from disability and disfigurement will have access to surgical treatment and whole-person care in healthcare systems that will enable them to reach their God-given potential. We hope that this new vessel and the volunteer crew who serve on her will bring hope, healing and transformation for the next 40-50 years’.
