There were two receptions for health care professionals hosted by The Lord McColl while the Anastasis was docked at South Quay in London's Docklands this June. The ship is an impressive length and size with its 11 decks, three operating theatres, and 27 bed ward - it is currently the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world.
The auditorium was full of professionals, from surgeons to nurses, to radiologists, dentist, physiotherapists and pharmacists. When Lord McColl, in his introduction, described what it was like operating all day long and every day with nothing but encouragement from theatre staff a surgical colleague next to me murmured "It sounds like heaven!". But the medical crew was there for more than fun. Behind the friendly efficiency one could detect discipline and sacrifice. They were keen to justify the great expense of running such a fleet (currently there are three ships, and a fourth vessel has recently been bought - which will be even larger than the Anastasis when it is fully fitted out). Ships provide the cheapest form of transport. The Anastasis is very economically run. All treatment is given free but the actual costs of a cataract operation (£25) of a limb prosthesis (£250) were impressive. In fat it only costs £10 per crewmember per day to run the Anastasis - compared to at least £250 for a commercial ship.
So far surgery has been limited to head and neck, and the Anastasis, along with its sister ships, have had relatively limited operating theatre capacity. However the new ship (currently being fitted in Newcastle-upon-Tyne) will have between 6 to 8 theatres, and is intended to provide facilities for other specialities like orthopaedics and gynaecology.
Each visit made by the Mercy Ships is planned well in advance and followed up afterwards. The ships go to a country at the invitation of the government, which has to provide a large berth for 6 to 9 months, perhaps at the expense of trade. Yet there are many more invitations than can be accepted.
Most of the world's biggest cities are close to the sea and most of the world's population live within 100 miles of those cities. Thus, by using these vessels, Mercy Ships is able to reach a large majority of the world's poorest people quickly and efficiently. The intention is to do for patients what cannot be done locally and to enable those health professionals working locally to be able to do more than they were able to do before the visit. The vast screening exercise of patients who present to the ship, aims at more that separating those who can be helped from those who can't. Everyone should know that God loves him or her. Faith is not forced on anyone but they do try to meet everyone's needs. For example, a man who had survived to adulthood with a severe cleft lip was given a near normal anatomy and subsequently found faith. But as a result of his faith he was turned out of his home. Rather than leave him on the streets, the ship's baker taught him his trade and when the ship left the man was employed in one of the best hotels in the city.
While patients may travel long distances to reach the ship, teams also travel inland to hold clinics, provide health education and build health centres and latrines. Gently we were given the statistics and philosophy that lie behind the medical policy. The main causes of mortality are hunger, malaria, respiratory infections, diarrhoea and water borne diseases, tuberculosis, immunisation preventable disease and maternal mortality. All of these are preventable by simple, inexpensive interventions. Although HIV infection is seen by many as the major cause of death and disease in Asia and Africa, in fact the total mortality from AIDS since the early eighties is less than the number of deaths from these easily preventable causes. Sailing in with a high tech hospital ship could be patronising and hinder self sustainability, but everything that was done whether clinical, teaching or building was done with and not just for the local community.
Some health professionals fly in to join the ship for short terms of service and pay £70 a week for the privilege of staying on board as well as for their flights. Long term staff pay less but still have to raise their own support. There is room for families on aboard, and the ship has its own school and teachers so that children do not miss out on their education.
After the presentation there were tours of the ship and a chance to talk with the medical crew over refreshments. By this stage you would be happy to sign on there and then, but being able to join requires a process of selection that shows you have something to offer that fits in with the ships programme. Anaesthetists, general surgeons, ophthalmologists, theatre nurses, health educators and community nurses, physiotherapists, radiologists and dental professionals are all in high demand.
If you think you might be able to help contact:
Mercy Ships, Highfield Oval, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 4BX,
Enquiries 0870 870 7447
Admin Tel: (01582) 463303
Email: info@mercyships.org.uk
Web site: www.mercyships.org.uk
Medical electives cannot be arranged.
The auditorium was full of professionals, from surgeons to nurses, to radiologists, dentist, physiotherapists and pharmacists. When Lord McColl, in his introduction, described what it was like operating all day long and every day with nothing but encouragement from theatre staff a surgical colleague next to me murmured "It sounds like heaven!". But the medical crew was there for more than fun. Behind the friendly efficiency one could detect discipline and sacrifice. They were keen to justify the great expense of running such a fleet (currently there are three ships, and a fourth vessel has recently been bought - which will be even larger than the Anastasis when it is fully fitted out). Ships provide the cheapest form of transport. The Anastasis is very economically run. All treatment is given free but the actual costs of a cataract operation (£25) of a limb prosthesis (£250) were impressive. In fat it only costs £10 per crewmember per day to run the Anastasis - compared to at least £250 for a commercial ship.
So far surgery has been limited to head and neck, and the Anastasis, along with its sister ships, have had relatively limited operating theatre capacity. However the new ship (currently being fitted in Newcastle-upon-Tyne) will have between 6 to 8 theatres, and is intended to provide facilities for other specialities like orthopaedics and gynaecology.
Each visit made by the Mercy Ships is planned well in advance and followed up afterwards. The ships go to a country at the invitation of the government, which has to provide a large berth for 6 to 9 months, perhaps at the expense of trade. Yet there are many more invitations than can be accepted.
Most of the world's biggest cities are close to the sea and most of the world's population live within 100 miles of those cities. Thus, by using these vessels, Mercy Ships is able to reach a large majority of the world's poorest people quickly and efficiently. The intention is to do for patients what cannot be done locally and to enable those health professionals working locally to be able to do more than they were able to do before the visit. The vast screening exercise of patients who present to the ship, aims at more that separating those who can be helped from those who can't. Everyone should know that God loves him or her. Faith is not forced on anyone but they do try to meet everyone's needs. For example, a man who had survived to adulthood with a severe cleft lip was given a near normal anatomy and subsequently found faith. But as a result of his faith he was turned out of his home. Rather than leave him on the streets, the ship's baker taught him his trade and when the ship left the man was employed in one of the best hotels in the city.
While patients may travel long distances to reach the ship, teams also travel inland to hold clinics, provide health education and build health centres and latrines. Gently we were given the statistics and philosophy that lie behind the medical policy. The main causes of mortality are hunger, malaria, respiratory infections, diarrhoea and water borne diseases, tuberculosis, immunisation preventable disease and maternal mortality. All of these are preventable by simple, inexpensive interventions. Although HIV infection is seen by many as the major cause of death and disease in Asia and Africa, in fact the total mortality from AIDS since the early eighties is less than the number of deaths from these easily preventable causes. Sailing in with a high tech hospital ship could be patronising and hinder self sustainability, but everything that was done whether clinical, teaching or building was done with and not just for the local community.
Some health professionals fly in to join the ship for short terms of service and pay £70 a week for the privilege of staying on board as well as for their flights. Long term staff pay less but still have to raise their own support. There is room for families on aboard, and the ship has its own school and teachers so that children do not miss out on their education.
After the presentation there were tours of the ship and a chance to talk with the medical crew over refreshments. By this stage you would be happy to sign on there and then, but being able to join requires a process of selection that shows you have something to offer that fits in with the ships programme. Anaesthetists, general surgeons, ophthalmologists, theatre nurses, health educators and community nurses, physiotherapists, radiologists and dental professionals are all in high demand.
If you think you might be able to help contact:
Mercy Ships, Highfield Oval, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 4BX,
Enquiries 0870 870 7447
Admin Tel: (01582) 463303
Email: info@mercyships.org.uk
Web site: www.mercyships.org.uk
Medical electives cannot be arranged.
