Mercury Marine Donates Engines for Hydro-Ambulance

Ambulatory services in Congo, Africa are now improved thanks to a donation by Mercury Marine.  The global marine propulsion company recently donated two 60hp outboard engines that have been installed on a boat that will act as a hydro-ambulance, equipped to reach the most remote villages along the Congo River.

The boat, which will be docked at the port of Cremona and commissioned by the non-profit organization For African Children, will be equipped with the proper equipment to allow birth and pediatric surgery on board the vessel.  It will also act as a primary rescue vessel in the event of an emergency.

“If a child is sick in one of the remote villages in Africa, historically, their chance of survival decreased dramatically, “said Mike Shedivy, Mercury Marine president of Europe, Middle East & Africa.  “With this boat and the two Mercury outboard engines powering it, medical responders can reach those villages quicker and get folks the medical care they need immediately; increasing their chances of survival.”

Doctor Chiara Castellari, a Congo resident for the past 25 years, will be the primary on-call physician to take care of the patients that require the hydroambulance.

“The North of Congo doesn't have streets and the only way to help people is to reach them by river,” said Shedivy.

The boat, currently in Italy, will make its way to Africa and arrive before the end of 2015.