From the Field

Little Kossi was born with Clubfoot. This condition causes the foot to grow inward, retarding normal growth and leaving the side of the foot where the bottom should be - crippling the child.

In many African cultures, this abnormality is viewed as a curse and makes a child an outcast. But Kossi's mother, Akouwa, took action to prevent that. She brought the 10-month-old baby to a Mercy Ships screening in Togo. He became the first patient in West Africa to take part in the Ponseti Management Programme, now being established onboard the Africa Mercy.  read more »

Akissi, an 18-year-old girl, waits patiently in line. Slowly, she moves closer to the examination area. She thinks back on the four months since her first medical screening near her home in northern Togo. She has been anxiously awaiting this day. The moment has finally come, and she prays that the doctor will say to her, “Yes, we can help you.”  read more »

“We could cry all day because we go back to the same misery. We have no more hope.”

These are the heart-wrenching words of a few despairing women, who came to the Africa Mercy for vaginal vesicular fistula (VVF) surgery. Not all surgeries are successful. At times, several procedures may be required to repair the injury, and sometimes there is nothing else that can be done. These women were preparing to return to their homes as they came, with no money, no hope, and constant urine leakage.  read more »

Nearly one hundred elementary school children sat very still in a cramped, dim Togolese classroom. Mercy Ships Dental Hygienist, Donna Bartholomew, stood in her blue medical scrubs at the front of the room, smiling at all of the children

“Raise your hand if you have a toothbrush,” Donna asked.

Half of the children's hands shot into the air. The other half glanced at their peers, realizing they should probably put their hands up, too. Up they went.  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 »

Every morning at 8 am, a dedicated group of dentists, dental assistants, a dental hygienist and translators set out across Lomé, Togo, to the dental clinic run by Mercy Ships. The clinic is a quick 25-minute drive through the city centre and has been named Round Point Clinic by the Africa Mercy dental team.  read more »

During the Togo Field Service, Mercy Ships will be testing a new format for screening patients. Several pre-screenings will be conducted from February until April in multiple locations rather than one mass screening.

This will allow our teams to reach multiple areas of need while hopefully reducing the size of the crowd that normally appears during large screenings.

It is our hope that prospective patients will have less time to wait to be examined while also reducing security concerns that come with large groups.  read more »