Mercy Ships is an international charity that was founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens. Mercy Ships currently operates the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world, providing free health care, community development projects, community health education, mental health programs, agriculture projects, and palliative care for terminally ill patients.
Mercy Ships has operated in more than 57 developing nations and 18 developed nations around the world, with a current focus on the countries of Africa.
The organization has its International Operations Center (IOC) in Garden Valley, Texas. Mercy Ships also has 16 national resource offices in countries that include Spain, Britain, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, theNetherlands, South Africa, and Australia.
A major inspiration for Mercy Ships president and founder Don Stephens was the work of the international hospital ship SS Hope. Stephens' research showed that 95 of the 100 largest cities in the world were port cities. Therefore, a hospital ship could deliver healthcare very efficiently to large numbers of people. The birth of Stephens' profoundly disabled son, John Paul, also inspired him to move forward with his vision of a floating hospital. A visit with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India, further deepened his commitment to serving the world's neediest people.
Mercy Ships currently has one vessel in service: the 16,500-ton flagship Africa Mercy, which measures almost 500 feet long. The Africa Mercy has greater capacity than all three previous Mercy Ships combined. A second, purpose-built hospital ship is currently in design.
The Africa Mercy is currently serving in the port of Toamasina, Madagascar, where its field service will last from October 2014 to the summer of 2015. The ship was previously docked in Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo from August 2013 till May 2014. Before that it was docked in Conakry, Guinea and Lomé, Togo. The Africa Mercy docked in Freetown, Sierra Leone for its 2011 field service, which lasted for 10 months. At the conclusion of each field service, the Africa Mercy goes into dry dock, where it is resupplied and receives any needed repairs or upgrades before heading to its next port of call.[10]
Early in 2010, the ship was docked in Lomé, Togo for the 2010 field service. In August 2010, the Africa Mercy went into shipyard in South Africa, where it was equipped with new, more efficient generators. In 2009, the ship was docked in Cotonou, Benin from February to December, providing free surgeries and medical care. Mercy Ships also worked with Beninese citizens on agriculture and water development projects on the ground in Benin. In 2007, the ship made its official maiden voyage to Monrovia, Liberia, from the shipyard in England.[11] In 2008, the Africa Mercy continued its service to Liberia—offering free surgeries, assistance in healthcare infrastructure development, and community-based preventive health care programs that benefited thousands of individuals and many communities. More than 1,200 surgical procedures and 10,000 dental procedures were completed, along with community health projects such as HIV/AIDS prevention and construction of wells and latrines.
Before the Africa Mercy arrives in port, flyers are distributed to alert the public to the ship's upcoming visit. An advance team begins a massive screening of thousands of prospective patients, to see which men, women and children qualify for a surgery. It is common for people to walk for days (and even from neighboring countries) to find out whether they may be eligible for surgical treatment
Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor, mobilizing people and resources worldwide. The organization treats all patients without cost, and without regard to their religion, race or gender.[28]
Mercy Ships vessels have completed stopover port visits in 57 developing nations and 18 developed nations.[29] Its volunteers have performed services valued at more than $1 billion, impacting about 2.35 million people. Mercy Ships volunteers have performed more than 61,000 free operations, such as cleft lip and palate, cataract removal, straightening of crossed eyes, and orthopedic and facial reconstruction. Volunteers have performed 278,000 dental procedures for more than 109,000 dental patients.
The organization is active on land, as well as on board the ship. Volunteers have treated over 539,000 patients in mobile medical and dental clinics set up in the communities near ports where the hospital ship has docked. They have also have trained more than 29,400 local medical professionals in areas of specialization, including anesthesiology, midwifery, sterilization and surgery. Volunteers have educated about 5,770 local healthcare workers, who have in turn trained multiple thousands in primary healthcare. Volunteers have also taught basic health care to more than 150,000 local people. As of spring 2011, volunteers have completed nearly 1,100 community development projects focusing on water and sanitation, education, infrastructure development and agriculture.
Mercy Ships is a Better Business Bureau accredited charity. Originally a part of the YWAM (Youth with a Mission) family of Christian ministries, Mercy Ships is now a standalone organization.[32] Mercy Ships has built a broad base of financial support, beginning with donations from the public and from crew members. Medical companies donate pharmaceuticals, equipment and supplies to Mercy Ships. Corporations also make in-kind donations of materials such as fuel, food and building supplies. In addition, governments that work with Mercy Ships also waive port fees and associated costs for the ship to dock
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