£100 donated to Mercy Ships

It’s estimated that 5 billion people around the world don’t have any access to safe surgery.

Mercy Ships is an international charity with a mission to provide better health care regardless of race, gender or religion in developing nations world-wide.  It was founded in 1978 by a USA businessman called Don Stephens. From one retired ocean liner bought for £600,000 there is now a fleet of Mercy ships, one being the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world, and they have visited more than 591 ports and performed more than 84,000 life changing operations.

Speaking to Club members on 5th March was Lynne Melly (in the picture with President Mike and Richard Huck) who is a paediatric nurse and crew nurse on “Africa Mercy”. In her former life “Africa Mercy” was a Danish rail ferry capable of taking 2 complete trains on board. “Africa Mercy” has 1300 volunteers of 40 different nationalities on an annual basis. Typically it will have a crew of 450, who perform 200 different jobs, half being medical. There are whole families on board with about 50 children attending the on-board school.

Mercy Ships only go to a country if invited and will spend 10 months there. In the 10 months up to June 2017 “Africa Mercy” was in Benin. She is currently in the Cameroon and in the last 5 months has performed 1,500 operations and 9,000 dental procedures. All for no charge whatsoever. Patients are found by local advertising and word of mouth. Thousands come for treatment: for example 7½ thousand turned up when in the Republic of Congo. Those chosen for treatment are given appointments. About 240 day worker volunteers will be recruited for such jobs as translating, cleaning, laundry and cooking. 1,800 meals a day will be required.

“Africa Mercy” has 5 operating theatres, a radiology laboratory and a pharmacy. Almost any type of surgical procedure can be performed, including dentistry and ophthalmic. There are also physiotherapists and occupational therapists on board. There is very little space between the hospital beds and parents staying with child patients happily sleep on a mattress underneath the bed. On departure the Mercy ship will have left a lasting impact by means of the training and mentoring of local professionals that’s been done, and by leaving better medical tools, resources and infrastructure.

Mercy Ships’ HQ is in Texas and it has 16 national resource offices around the world including Britain, Spain, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, France, Korea, Denmark, Belgium, New Zealand, Sweden and Norway. Every pound that Mercy Ships receives is complimented by more than 2 pounds in contributed gifts-in-kind and services. Most significantly, those serving on the ships contribute monthly crew fees and raise their own finances to serve with Mercy Ships.

Lynne said we can help in 3 ways: by giving, by volunteering and simply by spreading the word.

Following Lynne's talk, the Rotary Club of Swindon North donated £100 to Mercy Ships.

Mercy Ships website