His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has received a delegation from Mercy Ships, led by the Minister of Health, Dr Austin Demby, who disclosed that the brand-new vessel, and the biggest among other Mercy Ships, will be in the country for 10 months, starting tomorrow.

“Already, we have registered 5,000 Sierra Leoneans. But having scrutinised them thoroughly, there were about 2,350 of them whose conditions were very critical. So, they have been prioritised by the medical experts on the ship,” he informed the President.

He also stated that the ministry had set up a ‘Hope Centre’ at their Macauley Street Hospital in Freetown, where some of the patients, with serious health conditions, would rest before they were taken to the ship for surgeries.

“Mercy Ships has a strong partnership with the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), where medical pieces of training have been provided for the medical students. Plans are at an advanced stage for Mercy Ships to assist in the establishment of a Dentistry School in Sierra Leone, which will boost the health sector,” he said.

In his response, President Julius Maada Bio welcomed the delegation and said he was looking forward to the arrival of the ship and the services it would render to Sierra Leoneans.

“We are excited, and I am particularly happy to know that 5,000 people with health conditions in Sierra Leone have already registered to benefit from the services the ship will render. So, I wish you a very happy stay in Sierra Leone,” he told the delegation.