The Global Mercy, the largest civilian hospital ship in the world, recently performed its first surgery on a 43-year-old man in Sierra Leone. Emmanuel, a father-of-one from Freetown, had been living with a facial tumor and was concerned about the potential complications it could cause.
The surgery took place on September 12 at the Port of Freetown, and Emmanuel became the inaugural recipient of a surgery onboard the Global Mercy.
The ship plans to perform over 2,350 surgeries during its 10-month stay in Freetown. Sierra Leone currently lacks fully certified maxillofacial specialist surgeons, making the assistance provided by Mercy Ships crucial.
The surgery was carried out by American International Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mark Shrime, and Swiss oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Didier-David Malis. The Global Mercy not only serves as a hospital but also offers training to local healthcare professionals. This is the sixth time a Mercy Ship has visited Sierra Leone since 1992.