Thousands Queue at Hospital Ship in W.African Guinea
Over 4,300 people queue for mass screening hoping for an appointment card leading to life changing surgery aboard 'African Mercy'. In drizzling rain several hundred people joined the queue, and by daybreak they started to come in their thousands; this was no grand final, and no rock concert – 'The Mercy Ship' had arrived in the West African nation of Guinea. Guinea is one of the least developed countries in the world, ranking 178 out of 187 on the UN Human Development Index. According to the World Health Organization…
Mercy Ship Arrives in Guinea
The Port of Conakry in Guinea welcomes the 'Africa Mercy' – the world’s largest private charitable hospital ship. Previous assignments to the West African nation took place in 1992 and 1999. For the next ten months the state-of-the-art hospital ship, with six operating theatres, will provide free specialized surgeries and training for health care workers in Guinea. In response to an invitation from the President of Guinea, the Mercy Ships program strategy is to partner with the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene and other organizations to improve the country’s health care delivery system.
