The United Nations has expressed appreciation for the presence of the charity health ship in Sierra Leone; saying that the country’s ambition for mobile healthcare is raised with the presence of “Mercy Ship” floating hospital.
The remarks were made by the United Nations Resident Coordinator (RC), Babatunde Ahonsi during a visit on Friday October 27th 2023 to the Hospital Ship docked at Queen Elizabeth 11 Quay in Freetown.
The ship, known as Global Mercy, has been docked there since August this year serving as a floating health care provider on the water.
Ahonsi said the UN Country Team is uplifted by the difference that the service rendered by the Global Mercy is making to the surrounding community, to benefiting patients, and to Sierra Leone as a whole.
During a tour conducted by Mercy Ship’s Country Director, Dr Sandra Lako, of the eleven-deck world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship, Ahonsi said that for the individuals benefiting from the surgeries, the experience is life-transforming and that the boost to specialized human resources for health in the country through the training component could be significant.
Through Dr Lako, the UN’s Ahonsi congratulated the 641 volunteers comprising medical, technical and general personnel; 300 of whom are from Sierra Leone, for the work they will continue to do until June next year (2024) when the Ship is expected to depart the shores of Sierra Leone.
“I hope the country appreciates the difference it has made,” Mr Ahonsi said of the floating hospital, adding that Sierra Leone is lucky to have the Global Mercy Ship around.
After a briefing on the traineeship opportunities that the medical practitioners in the country, especially from the Connaught Hospital, will benefit from during the Ship’s stay in Sierra Leone, Mr Ahonsi emphasised that he hopes that it will help raise the level of ambition for mobile health care in the country.
“Anything that helps to strengthen healthcare delivery is good for Sierra Leone,” he said.
In responding, Dr Lako said that the need for surgical care, both in Freetown and upcountry, could be addressed to a certain extent by mobile clinics and indicated that it is great that the Ship’s visit has encouraged others to be more focused on engaging in mobile healthcare. For now, she does not think this would be a particular area that Mercy Ships would get involved in.
On their collaboration with the Connaught Hospital, she said, “Mercy Ships is working in partnership with Connaught Hospital to strengthen surgical care. This programme is still being developed together with our partners. We also have surgical and anaesthetic doctors and nurses from Connaught Hospital rotating on board for training and shared learning opportunities,” she said.
For ten months, according to Dr Lako, the Ship will provide some 2,350 safe and free surgeries on board to Sierra Leoneans, and it will include safe surgical and dental care, as well as advanced medical training and mentoring.
She said she was grateful for the visit led by Ahonsi and accompanied by the Heads of FAO, Saeed Bancie, and UNIDO, Mariatu Swaray. “We are grateful we are in a country where our services are appreciated,” the Country Director said.
The team had the opportunity to meet with the Captain of the Ship and also visited the hospital and learning academy, among others.
Mercy Ship came to Sierra Leone on an invitation from the Government and it marks the sixth instance of collaboration between the Ship and the country.