Mercyships's blog

Mercy Ships is celebrating International Children’s Day today (1st June). In the last 30 years Mercy Ships has helped save the lives of thousands of children who have suffered at the hands of poverty.  read more »

If we told you we wanted to increase productivity by 32%, reduce our CO2 by 20% and reduce our fuel running costs by £470,000 a year, would you feel able to help us achieve this?

With your help we can upgrade the Africa Mercy’s 30-year-old generators to make them quieter, fuel efficient and able to cope for the next 30 years of service.  read more »

Mercy Ships UK has appointed a new Head of Fundraising as part of its commitment to developing the international charity throughout the UK.

Sarah Balser, who has more than 20 years experience in the fundraising sector, joined Mercy Ships this month and will oversee a team that raises funds for the world’s largest charity hospital ship – the Africa Mercy. The ship, crewed by more than 400 volunteers, provides free medical and humanitarian aid to the world’s poorest people.  read more »

Our marathon runners are helping us to transform the lives of the world’s forgotten poor. One by one.

You could be part of it!

Mercy Ships UK has guaranteed places for the Virgin London Marathon on 17th April 2011.  Join our team and raise money to help fund our hospital ship whilst having an experience of a lifetime with thousands of other runners.

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Hannah Warren, 25, a nurse from Milton Keynes recently returned from Haiti having spent two weeks offering vital aid to thousands of affected earthquake victims.

Hannah joined a team of Mercy Ships volunteers to offer her skills as a nurse to victims of the Haiti earthquake. Hannah had originally applied to volunteer with Mercy Ships on its floating hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, currently on a seven month outreach in Togo.   read more »

Mercy Ships celebrated International Nurses Day on 12th May in recognition of more than 20,000 nurses who have volunteered with Mercy Ships in the last 30 years.

One such nurse is Julia Smith (28) a ward nurse from Sheffield who is currently in Togo volunteering on board the Africa Mercy, the world’s largest charity hospital ship.

Julia said: “Being a ward nurse on the Africa Mercy is very different to being a ward nurse at home.  Volunteering is a very humbling experience and one that I treasure.   read more »

Mercy Ships has selected Sierra Leone as the site for the 2011 Field Service for the world’s largest charity hospital ship, the Africa Mercy.  This will be the fourth time that Mercy Ships has delivered free world-class medical care to the impoverished West African nation. 

The protocols and Memoranda of Understanding were recently signed.  The Sierra Leonean government was represented by The Honourable Vice President, Sam-Sumana, and Mercy Ships was represented by Mr. Don Stephens, Founder and President.   read more »

Over 1,100 people queued around the Evangelical Presbyterian Church on the first day of eye screenings for the Mercy Ships Field Service in Togo, West Africa.

They had a common purpose - the hope of restoring or improving their eyesight. That hope was focused on the eye clinic operated by the Africa Mercy volunteer crew and staff

Eye screenings are held four times a week at different locations, and approximately 250 people are screened each day, with about 10% of those are scheduled for surgery.  read more »

The Hospitality Centre, situated about two miles from where the Africa Mercy is docked, opened its doors the first week in March.

The 40-bed facility offers overnight provision for up to 90 patients awaiting surgeries and other procedures.  It also provides on-land office space for eye services and other programmes.

During its first week of operation, the Centre handled pre-op and post-op services for 240 eye patients. Eighty of those patients were receiving cataract surgery.  read more »

Over a hundred invited guests, representing Togo's health care interests, gathered for a medical reception aboard the Africa Mercy to view the hospital ship and learn about the medical services it offers during this field service.

Following refreshments, guests assembled in the International Lounge where they were welcomed by various department heads. Dr. Gary Parker, Chief Medical Officer, gave an overview of the medical services provided aboard the ship.  read more »