FOUNDERS
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,[2] with a current focus on the countries of Africa.[3]
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, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Australia.
Facilities and Features Overview
Since the launch of the Africa Mercy in 2007, Mercy Ships has planned for another ship of equal or greater capacity to be added to the fleet. Drawing upon over 35 years of organisational experience and over 5 years of specifically studying the outcomes of the Africa Mercy in serving the people of West and Central West Africa, Mercy Ships contracted for a purpose-built ship. This new ship will more than double the ability of Mercy Ships to deliver hope and healing, while significantly increasing capacity-building and training potential.
The new ship represents a global collaboration. The 37,000 GRT hospital ship will be constructed by China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) in its Tianjin Xingang Shipyard with project management by Stena RoRo of Gothenburg, Sweden and construction design by Deltamarin of Turku, Finland. The French ship brokerage company Barry Rogliano Salles (BRS) was instrumental in helping negotiate the contract. The new ship will be classed by Lloyd’s Register of the UK, and it will be flagged by Malta.
Delivery of the ship from the shipyard is anticipated in 2017, with full deployment in 2018. It is capable of serving anywhere in the world and will initially expand Mercy Ships activity on the African continent.
Mercy Ships has operated in more than 57 developing nations and 18 developed nations around the world,[2] with a current focus on the countries of Africa.[3]
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, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Australia.
Facilities and Features Overview
Since the launch of the Africa Mercy in 2007, Mercy Ships has planned for another ship of equal or greater capacity to be added to the fleet. Drawing upon over 35 years of organisational experience and over 5 years of specifically studying the outcomes of the Africa Mercy in serving the people of West and Central West Africa, Mercy Ships contracted for a purpose-built ship. This new ship will more than double the ability of Mercy Ships to deliver hope and healing, while significantly increasing capacity-building and training potential.
The new ship represents a global collaboration. The 37,000 GRT hospital ship will be constructed by China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) in its Tianjin Xingang Shipyard with project management by Stena RoRo of Gothenburg, Sweden and construction design by Deltamarin of Turku, Finland. The French ship brokerage company Barry Rogliano Salles (BRS) was instrumental in helping negotiate the contract. The new ship will be classed by Lloyd’s Register of the UK, and it will be flagged by Malta.
Delivery of the ship from the shipyard is anticipated in 2017, with full deployment in 2018. It is capable of serving anywhere in the world and will initially expand Mercy Ships activity on the African continent.
Hospital
The hospital covers most of decks 3 and 4 – approximately 7000 square meters containing 6 operating rooms, an intensive care unit, clinical laboratory, diagnostic radiology, hospital supply and pharmacy services. With 109 acute care and 45 self-care beds, the hospital will have an onboard capacity of 154 patient beds. The hospital area also includes dedicated classroom/conference spaces as well as medical simulation labs for more effective training. All pre-operative and post-operative care can be done onboard rather than ashore, which minimises the Mercy Ships footprint when operating in busy ports. The new ship will more than double our annual medical capacity and is designed to carry out a wide range of surgeries including, but not limited to, maxillofacial reconstructive and tumor removal surgery, cleft lip and palate repair, plastics and orthopedic surgery, cataract removal, and obstetric fistula repair.
Accommodation
The Atlantic Mercy will have meeting and work spaces as well as berths for an average crew of 600+, consisting of families, married couples, and singles, with numerous design considerations based upon prior operating experience and crew feedback. The ship incorporates the latest comprehensive technology for crew safety and security.
Construction Phases
The sequential steps in the building process include: up to 16 months of detailed design work, construction of the hull, outfitting the accommodation decks/hospital and installation of machinery systems, extensive testing and trials prior to delivery from shipyard, installation of additional equipment and IT hardware, and further testing prior to deployment.
Specifications
Length: 174m
Breadth: 28.6m
Gross Tonnage: 37,000
Registered: Malta
Crew Capacity: 600+
Main Engines: Diesel Electric
Draft: 6.1 m
Decks: 11
Building: Tianjin Xingang Shipyard
Surveyed By: Lloyd’s Register
Focus : Surgery, Healthcare, Development
Location : Garden Valley, Texas
Website : www.mercyships.org
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