Thulisile Mapongwana
The hospital ship, Africa Mercy, is set to sail to Madagascar on Thursday after undergoing extensive repairs and maintenance in Durban and East London.
The vessel, which arrived in Durban last March and later docked in East London on November 7, 2023, is now fully prepared for its humanitarian mission.
The vessel, which offers free specialised surgery to countries, underwent a major refit, which included upgrades to its IT system, as well as maintenance to the hospital, galley, dining room and engine room.
The project was undertaken by South African companies, Bradgary, Loewe-Marine, MAN Energy Solutions and Dormac.
“We offer several specialised surgeries namely maxillofacial, paediatric orthopaedic surgery, reconstructive plastic surgery, women’s health, and general surgery,” said Brenda van Straten, the National Director of Mercy Ships South Africa.
In simple terms, these surgeries include but are not limited to the removal of head and neck tumours, cleft lip and palate repairs, orthopaedic surgery to correct bowlegs and club feet, and women’s surgery following labour complications.
“We believe every life deserves access to quality healthcare regardless of geographical location hence our unwavering commitment to extend the reach of our medical services and impact the lives of millions,” said Van Straten.
She said the ship was docked in Durban they conducted a three-day training course in Pietermaritzburg Kwazulu-Natal on how to administer safer anaesthesia during surgeries to empower local medical professionals.
The training courses were presented in collaboration with the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists and the Department of Health and some of the hospitals that benefitted last year include Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha, and hospitals in Mbombela, Mpumalanga and East London.
The Africa Mercy Ship ranks as the second-largest hospital ship, with the first being the Global Mercy, currently docked in Sierra Leone.
Algoa FM News also got the opportunity to sit down with the Managing Director of Africa Mercy, John Mark Bray.
