Mercy Ships docked for an evening in Bracknell recently to inform the gathered Easthampstead Rotarians and friends on the successes and plans of this unique charity.
Dr Peter Montgomery, eye surgeon and long-time volunteer aboard the latest hospital ship ‘Africa Mercy’, told of the difference the volunteer surgeons, doctors, nurses and ancillary staff have made, and continue to make, to millions of patients from some of the poorest countries in the world which have little or no health services. Globally, five billion people have no access to safe, affordable surgery when they need it.
Conditions that require surgical treatment kill more people in low-income countries than HIV/Aids, TB
and malaria combined.
In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, over two thirds of the people live on less than £2 a day, many within 100 miles of the coast. Healthcare in these countries either doesn’t exist at all, or is unaffordable to the vast majority of the population.
As well as completing thousands of urgent operations onboard, Mercy Ships volunteers also work closely with host nations to improve the way healthcare is delivered across their countries, by training and mentoring local medical staff, and renovating hospitals and clinics.
Mercy Ships was founded in 1978, and since then has outfitted and operated a total of four hospital ships to serve developing nations. The organisation has traditionally used retired ferries and ocean liners, transformed into floating hospitals which deliver vital, free healthcare to people in desperate need. Mercy Ships have visited almost 600 ports in more than 50 developing nations and helped 2¾ million people. ‘Africa Mercy’ has 1,300 paying crew and medical staff volunteers.
Mercy Ships volunteers have:
- performed more than 100,000 free operations, such as cleft lip and palate, cataract removal, straightening of crossed eyes, burns, and orthopedic and facial reconstruction
- undertaken almost 450,000 dental procedures for over 175,000 dental patients
- trained more than 6,315 local doctors (including surgeons), who have in turn trained many others
- trained over 42,250 local professionals in anesthesiology, midwifery, sterilization, orthopedic and reconstructive surgery
- taught basic healthcare to almost 240,000 local people
- completed over 1,110 infrastructure development and agriculture projects
Peter announced that a new hospital ship, ‘Global Mercy’ is under construction for delivery in 2021.
Easthampstead Rotarians presented Peter with a cheque for £300 bringing the total donated by them to Mercy Ships to more than £7,500.
To find out more about Mercy Ships or to donate, go to https://www.mercyships.org.uk/
Easthampstead Rotarians – Working with the Community for the Community
Visitors and new members always welcome. We meet most Mondays at The Coppid Beech Hotel.
For information on our upcoming events, check out our website: www.easthampsteadrotary.org or follow us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/easthampsteadrotaryclub/
Peter von Bergen
Share news from your club, group or society
If you are in a WI, Mothers’ Union, a friendship group or an action group then send us a report of your meetings and we’ll print them here!
Share your reports by emailing [email protected]
