GLOBAL MERCY

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First surgery on hospital ship

The four-year-old Amadou was the first patient to undergo surgery aboard the 'Global Mery', the world's largest civilian hospital ship, the Global Mercy™, in Dakar on March 8, 2023. Born with a deformity in each leg, even sitting down to eat was painful for him. Amadou will undergo two surgeries. Today, no fully qualified pediatric orthopedic surgeon performs this kind of procedure in Senegal, although a medical intern has undergone specialized training aboard the 'Africa Mercy' during previous missions to Senegal. Amadou's operation is the first of more than 40 pediatric orthopedic surgeries scheduled for this month. Over the next four months, the 'Global Mercy' will provide over 800 safe and free surgeries. For this first operation, Dr Rachel Buckingham, consultant in pediatric orthopedic surgery, was assisted by Dr Andrew Wainwright, both of the Oxford University Trust. They were surrounded by an international team of professionals, all of whom offered their time and expertise for this operation carried out on the unique hospital ship. During this first mission, the 'Global Mercy' will bring hope and healing to patients through the following surgical specialties: Maxillofacial, General, General Pediatric Specialty, Orthopedic, Plastic Reconstructive, and Ophthalmic. It is also the first time that a Mercy Ships hospital ship will serve two nations from a single port. At the invitation of the Senegalese government, up to 25% of operated patients are expected to come from neighboring Gambia. The 'Global Mercy' is not only a hospital ship but also a veritable floating training facility, which will facilitate hundreds of hours of training over the next five months while docked in Dakar. Volunteer professionals on board, in conjunction with local partners, plan to train more than 600 local medical professionals in sessions such as safe surgery, mental health, primary trauma care, SAFE obstetrics, neonatal resuscitation, life-saving anesthesia simulation training and essential pain management.