The process of screening patients

27.04.2010- Mercy Ships does not simply show up in a country and expect crowds to flock to its hospital ship in search of medical attention. The whole process is prepared long before the ship’s arrival.

Many months before the Africa Mercy arrives at a new destination, our advance team is already on the ground. Poster are printed and distributed around the capital city and in villages. The advance team network with the local ministry of health, local NGOs, local churches and communities to spread the word about the ship’s arrival. Everything is done to find people in need of the sort of medical care that Mercy Ships can provide.

Once the ship is moored, we start holding screening sessions in various public locations. In 2010, this started in February, shortly after the ship’s arrival, and will continue until mid May. It is during these sessions that our doctors and nurses meet with the sick and debilitated and select those whose lives can be transformed by the type of surgery and care offered. This could be the removal of a benign but potentially life-threatening tumour, the repair of a cleft lip/palate, a fistula repair or orthopaedic surgery.

Those who can be treated receive an appointment card marking the date of their admission to the ship for a free surgery. This little card truly brings joy and new hope for the holder, as it marks the start of a new life.