Media Releases
Contact New Zealand Communications Manager26 October
Kiwi meets HRH The Princess Royal on hospital ship in AfricaHer Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited the world’s largest charity hospital ship in Sierra Leone on Wednesday as part of her tour of the West African country.Accompanied by her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Princess visited the 16,000 tonne Africa Mercy which is run by the international Christian charity Mercy Ships. The charity provides free medical care and humanitarian aid to some of the world’s poorest people. The royal couple toured the ship’s hospital deck, visiting the operating theatres and the ward where they met some of the patients currently being treated onboard, as well as the medical volunteers who serve on the ship. The Africa Mercy is staffed by more than 1000 volunteers from 40 nations, with about 400 onboard at any one time. Her Royal Highness and the Vice Admiral met many of the volunteers during their visit, including Matamata ophthalmic operating theatre nurse Glenys Gillingham. Ms Gillingham reflected, “Princess Anne’s visit means so much to us onboard. We serve the poorest of the poor through our health care services, and for them to know that royal family care enough to come and visit, to take an interest in their desperate needs being met, is totally life-changing. There will not be a patient on our wards who will ever forget this day – they have been healed physically onboard and now have had an incredible sense of value instilled into them by The Princess Royal’s visit. “ She confessed, “I was just going about my work in the operating theatre - not even on the list for those to actually meet The Princess Royal. I was hiding away in Theatre Five when I was spotted by the Managing Director, who beckoned me across. I reluctantly emerged to be introduced. I mentioned having met Her Royal highness at Kalene Mission Hospital in Zambia over 20 years ago. She remembered that we were putting in a new water system at the time. It's amazing to think The Princess remembered details when she has countless other visits between then and now.” The royal couple was also shown the non-medical areas of the ship including the bridge and the onboard school, which has educated many New Zealand children of the volunteer crew over the past 33 years. They also met some of the non-medical volunteers who ensure the day-to-day running of the ship, which could be best described as a ‘small town’. The volunteer crew who pay their own airfare and crew fees to cover the cost of their time onboard, range from the Captain, surgeons and nurses, to cooks, cleaners and engineers. Graeme Walls, Director of Mercy Ships New Zealand served with the Africa Mercy for five years. He said, “It is an unexpected and huge honour for Mercy Ships that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence took time to visit the Africa Mercy during their stay in Sierra Leone. “The visit has meant a great deal to the patient and volunteers alike. We were delighted that the Princess chose to spend time visiting the ship and learning about the work of the charity.” The converted former Danish rail ferry is in its eighth month of a ten-month field service in Sierra Leone, a country the charity has visited seven times over the last 19 years. Mercy Ships has worked extensively with the Ministry of Health and local hospitals to focus on capacity-building and the training of local doctors, anaesthetists, nurses and other health professionals.Since February, Mercy Ships volunteer medical teams in Sierra Leone have performed more than 2,700 surgeries and 28,700 dental procedures. 28 August 2011 Overwhelmed
by love
Harding Sesay was an active 16-year-old in Guinea, a busy high school student and a midfielder on his community soccer team. Then a boil on his nose began to grow until it stuck out like a giant muffin, blocking vision in his right eye. The emotional suffering was even worse than the physical. His gentle spirit was crushed when classmates laughed and made fun of him. Strangers stared. He was so embarrassed he stopped going to school. For three years, he tried to remove the growth using traditional African medicine, a mixture of leaves pasted on his skin. But it didn't help. When his parents abandoned him, he went to neighbouring Sierra Leone and moved in with friends who understood his problem. For seven years, he sat at home and they took care of him. One day Harding heard a radio announcement that Mercy Ships was on its way to Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, to offer surgeries for facial tumors, free of charge. A few days later, Harding was admitted to the onboard hospital. Nurse Corina Buth prepared him for surgery and witnessed his operation. When she noticed how much blood he was losing, she registered to be a donor for him, since her blood type matched his. And, later that evening, Corina was called to the Intensive Care Unit, where she donated her life-saving blood. The next morning, as Corina was caring for him, Harding wanted to tell her how grateful he was that she donated blood for him, but he couldn't find the words. But Corina understood. "His eyes told the whole story," she said. Harding was overwhelmed by the love and care he received on the Africa Mercy. He couldn't believe the volunteer surgeons had done such a wonderful job removing the tumor from his nose. "He was asking for a mirror all the time," said Corina. While recovering, he was invited to a Bible study. Despite the fact that he was a Muslim, he attended. Many of his questions were answered, and when the study focused on 1 Corinthians, he got very excited. He told Clementine, the Bible teacher, he wanted to become a follower of Jesus. She explained the importance of such a decision, and asked him why he wanted to become a Christian. "Because this is the true love," he answered. Harding was discharged from the hospital on a Sunday morning. Before he left, he asked to speak to the crowd gathered at the worship service in the ward. "For so many years I suffered," he said, referring to the seven years he hid from society. "Now, I am happy. Thanks to God for what Mercy Ships has done for me." Mercy Ships is a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978 providing free health care and community development services to the forgotten poor. Following the example of Jesus, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the poor. www.mercyships.org.au
17 July 2011 Recycling - the African wayThere is an old saying - ‘Necessity if the mother of invention'. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the physiotherapy department onboard the world's largest charity hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, currently on a ten-month assignment in West African nation of Sierra Leone. When patients undergo surgery to correct foot deformities, their legs are put in casts, they can't wear shoes, but they can't go barefoot, either. The Rehabilitation Team has found a suitable, inexpensive, and easily available way to give each patient the foot protection needed during their recovery. The answer lies in an available resource, common to every country ... used motor cycle tyres. Anama Latta, a day-worker engaged by Mercy Ships, makes shoes from tyres in various sizes to fit the patients. He gathers old tyres and begins by removing the wire inside with a knife. Then he measures for size, large, medium, or small. He then cuts incisions to mark where he will use the scissors to cut through. Next, he cuts three holes on each side. Then proper lengths of polypropalene ribbon are used to tie the shoes on. Anama says the tyre shoes are stronger than other footwear they might use, and they provide more protection on the sides of the foot. "When I was a child in Togo, I used to wear shoes like these to go to my father's farm," he said. "They protect better than thongs, and the leg cast doesn't get wet." Tyre shoes last longer than ordinary shoes, and patients can walk easily in them. Anama says he enjoys making them. "This is the way I can help patients and the Rehabilitation Team, and I'm happy to make them."
22 September 2010 Mercy Ships celebrates World Maritime Day
As World Maritime Day is recognised, Mercy Ships Australia pays tribute to the men and women, all volunteers, who keep the world’s largest charity ship Africa Mercy running. Since 1978, Mercy Ships has used hospital ships to deliver First World medical care to the forgotten poor in Third World countries. The volunteer crew includes both medical and non-medical personnel. The maritime crew members keep the engines and all vital equipment functioning properly so that the state-of-the-art hospital ship can fulfill its mission of transforming lives. World Maritime Day provides the perfect opportunity for Mercy Ships to highlight the vital importance of the Engineering Department onboard. Former Chief Engineer Andy Cole, of the UK, leads the 30-member team on the ship. Although the ship remains in port for much of the year, it takes the hard work of the entire team to maintain the highest maritime standards. Additionally, all crew must be trained in safe operating procedures. The main engines and propulsion systems must be ready for sea departure at a moment’s notice, in case of political unrest in the host country. A hospital ship also requires special equipment that must be maintained – for example, compressors to furnish medical oxygen – and equipment breakdowns must be addressed immediately. The fact that the hospital ship spends a long time in port, usually ten months, presents unique challenges. Power and services to the hospital and crew areas must be uninterrupted – a power outage could endanger a patient’s life. Also, water pollution in the port can clog sea water intakes, which are used for cooling generators and engines. So, dive teams have to clean the intakes often, sometimes twice a week. The Engineering Department has its own special program for transforming lives. After an interview process, 20 local young men are hired as day-volunteers to assist in the constant cleaning, paining and watch duties. They complete a training manual that covers the basics of engine maintenance and cleaning. They are extremely grateful for the free training that provides a way for them to support themselves after the ship leaves the port. 14 July 2010
Walking to a brighter futureThanks to Mercy Ships, Abel Dalome, walked home a different way. His legs are now in front of him, instead of behind him. Abel is a happy 11-year-old, who loves to make new friends, but his attitude is surprising considering the physical problem he lived with for most of his life and the reaction of most people to that problem. His parents noticed he was having difficulty learning to crawl. His muscles had stopped growing but his bones had not. As a result, his legs began to bend backwards at the knee, forcing his upper thighs out behind him. His parents took him to three different doctors but none knew what to do for him. Despite the condition, Abel learned to lean forward, correcting his balance enough to walk, climb and do most things that boys can do. He even became the goalkeeper on his soccer team. The only thing he could not do was ride a bicycle. Abel’s physical deformity made him the target of ridicule from other children, but he remained optimistic thanks to his joyful spirit and supportive parents. One day there was an announcement on the radio that Mercy Ships was coming to Togo, offering free surgeries. Abel and his father Kouego made the long journey by motorbike and car to reach the hospital ship Africa Mercy, operated by Mercy Ships, hopeful that volunteer surgeons could straighten the boy’s legs. A few days later, a wonderful surprise awaited Abel when he woke following his first surgery. His left leg was straight out in front of him, wrapped in a cast. As he admired his newly straightened leg, he asked his father if his right leg would also be straight after the next surgery. His father assured him that it would. Abel declared jubilantly, “If the other leg is going to be like this one I am going to give a big thanks to the Lord.” A second surgery did straighten the right leg, and he had a third procedure - plastic surgery on his knees. Then there was a further round of surgeries, post-operative care and therapy sessions to retrain the leg muscles. Through it all, Kouego stayed beside his son. With gentle and loving patience he encouraged and supported him. He slept on a mattress under Abel’s bed in the hospital ward, and next to him in an offshore recovery centre. There must have been times when he was weary of sitting and waiting, but he never showed any sign of fatigue. With good humour he was always ready to do whatever was next on the agenda of ‘straight legs’ for Abel. With all of the interest across Africa in the World Cup, Abel was keen to get back on the field himself. But his long-term goal is not to become a famous soccer player. He is determined to become a surgeon, like those who serve with Mercy Ships. “It is because of the things they have done for me,” he said. Since 1978, Mercy Ships has used ships to deliver free, world-class health care and development services to those without access in the poorest nations of the world. Following the example of Jesus, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the poor. Working in partnership with local people, Mercy Ships empowers communities to help themselves. The result is a way out of poverty. The emphasis is on the needs of the world’s poorest nations in West Africa, where the world’s largest charity hospital ship Africa Mercy with a crew of more than 400 short-term and long-term volunteers provides the platform for services extending up to ten months at a time. Mercy Ships works on land-based projects in Sierra Leone in partnership with other organisations, while teams also work in several nations of Central America and the Caribbean.
10 May 2010 Mercy Ships Recognises International Nurses Day
As International Nurses Day is celebrated on 12 May, volunteer nurses on the Africa Mercy lead by example in the fight against chronic diseases of poverty. In Australia, Mercy Ships is recognizing the efforts of a growing number of nurses from around the nation giving of their time and skills each year to serve as volunteers onboard the world's largest charity hospital ship in West African nations. With 100 nursing positions at any given time onboard, Mercy Ships requires around 750-800 nurses of all kinds to volunteer for a new 10 month field service in West African country each year. Some give two weeks to several months of service; others give years and call the ship their home. "Changed lives change lives," says Mercy Ships co-founder Deyon Stephens who began her own career as a nurse and now manages Education programs and chaplaincy for Mercy Ships. "In the midst of reports about our own nursing shortages in the West during these times of recession, the even greater nursing shortages in West African nations severely limit the quality of care available to patients." Jenny Ward, an Australian nurse serving during the current field service in Togo, has been one of the 15-member nursing team caring for 7-year old Aissa brought to the ship for surgery. Aissa suffers from a debilitating condition called Noma which has eaten away nearly one side of her face within recent years. Aissa was severely malnourished when she arrived. Abandoned by her parents due to the condition, she faced death without intervention. Surgery was unavailable in her country of Cameron, but thanks to funding from a charity set up by regular Mercy Ships volunteer and British doctor in training, Abi Boys, Aissa was able to fly from Cameroon with a Mercy Ships nurse for her surgery. International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. This year's International Year of the Nurse also marks the centenary of the death of Florence Nightingale. To celebrate, the 2010 Year of the Nurse was established to involve the world's nurses (estimated at more than 15 million) in a celebration of commitment to bring health to their communities, locally and worldwide. Mercy Ships is a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978 providing free health care and community development services to the forgotten poor. Following the example of Jesus, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the poor. Working in partnership with local people, Mercy Ships empowers communities to help themselves. The result is a way out of poverty.
22 April 2010 Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone 2011
Mercy Ships has selected Sierra Leone for the 2011 Field Service for the world’s largest charity hospital ship Africa Mercy. It will be the fourth time Mercy Ships has delivered free world-class medical care to the impoverished West African nation. Necessary protocols and Memoranda of Understanding have been signed, providing the necessary collaboration with the government of Sierra Leone relating to port, security, water and sanitation. The recent signing also opens the door for advance teams from Mercy Ships to carry out preliminary work needed for the planned assignment. Health care in Sierra Leone is unaffordable to most of the population and often unavailable. The country ranks 180 out of the 182 nations assessed on the 2009 Human Development Index. Most of the population lives on less than $2 a day. Infant mortality in Sierra Leone is 159 per 1000 births. Dental care is another illustration of the lack of health services, with only one dentist for every one million people. The ten-month field service will again bring hope and healing to the nation. The state-of-the-art Africa Mercy, with six operating theatres, will provide free surgeries aimed at correcting disability, deformity and blindness. Off-ship eye and dental clinics will offer additional medical services. Other volunteers will work with community groups on a range of development projects. The hospital ship serves as a platform for training African health care professionals. These programs ensure that the positive impact of Mercy Ships will continue long after the ship leaves Sierra Leone. Mercy Ships also works in partnership with the West African Fistula Centre in Aberdeen, founded in 2004. The clinic, now under the management of the Freedom from Fistula Foundation, offers free surgeries to women suffering from childbirth-related injury. It has the capacity to serve between 500 and 600 patients a year. Since 1978 Mercy Ships has used hospital ships to deliver services to those without access in the developing world. Volunteers have worked in more than 70 countries. More than 1200 crew worldwide, representing more than 40 nations, are joined each year by 2000 short-term volunteers. Professionals including surgeons, dentists, nurses, health care trainers, teachers, cooks, seamen, engineers and agriculturists donated their time and skills to the effort.
1 February 2010 Mercy on the way for TogoThe West African nation of Togo is this year's target for the efforts of volunteers serving with Mercy Ships to bring hope and healing to some of the world's poorest people. Following last year's assignment to Togo's neighbour Benin, and two months of ship maintenance and re-stocking in Tenerife, the world's largest charity hospital ship Africa Mercy heads back to West Africa. There have been three previous assignments to the nation of more than six million people. Through the years, Mercy Ships has referenced the United Nations Human Development Index to find areas of greatest need. Many of the poorest nations fall within a grid formed by 15° north and south of the equator and 15° east and west of the Prime Meridian. Togo is one of the least developed countries in the world, ranking 159 out of 182 countries on the 2009 Human Development Index. An estimated 70% of the population lives on less than $2 a day. Access to health care is very inadequate, even for those who can afford to visit a clinic. There is only one doctor for every 28,500 people. In Togo, out of every 1000 live births, 140 children will die before the age of 5. Life expectancy for men is 61 years and for women 64 years. The Africa Mercy with a volunteer crew of more than 400 will provide a range of free surgeries to correct disability, deformity and blindness; along with a wide range of community health and development programs aimed at helping the people of Togo bring themselves out of poverty. As surgeries are provided in the onboard hospital with its six operating theatres, training will be provided for local surgeons and other medical professionals. As in other West African nations served by Mercy Ships, women suffering from obstetric fistulas resulting from prolonged or obstructed labour during childbirth will be given corrective surgery. Over the coming months, many Australians will travel to Togo at their own expense to serve as short-term volunteers for periods from a few weeks to six months. Several Australians are also among the long-term crew onboard. Mercy Ships is a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978 providing free health care and community development services to the forgotten poor. Following the example of Jesus, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the poor. Working in partnership with local people, Mercy Ships empowers communities to help themselves. The result is a way out of poverty. Since 1978, volunteers serving with Mercy Ships have had an impact on the lives of millions of people in the world's poorest nation. Mercy Ships has provided services valued at more than $800 million. *Performed more than 41,000 surgeries such as cleft lip and palate, cataract removal, orthopaedic reconstruction and obstetric fistula repair. *Treated more than 230,000 people in village medical clinics. *Performed more than 205,000 dental treatments. *Taught over 14,500 local health care and professional workers, who have in turn trained others. *Taught 105,000 local people in primary health care. *Delivered more than $70 million worth of medical equipment, hospital and other supplies. *Completed more than 1,000 community development projects focusing on water and sanitation, education, infrastructure development and agriculture. *Demonstrated the love of God to people in over 550 port visits in 70 different nations. *More than 1,600 short-term volunteers serve with Mercy Ships each year. |