Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free surgical care. Today the organisation is operating one converted passenger ship as a hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. With the addition of the tailor-made Global Mercy, the capacity to help will be more than doubled
“It feels very satisfying to be able to contribute with our expertise in this project, which will make such a big and important difference to so many people in the poorest parts of the world”, says Per Westling, CEO of Stena RoRo AB.
VIDEO: Project introduction Global Mercy
The 174-meter, 37 000-ton ship is a tailored RoPax-class ferry. What usually is the car deck has been turned into six operating rooms and hospital wards. There will space for 950 persons with everything needed for both patients and those who work on board including 600+ volunteers from around the globe. Mercy Ships is also contributing to the sustainable construction of the local infrastructure for medical care by training local health professionals. Therefore, the Global Mercy is equipped with first-class training facilities.
Stena RoRo has been responsible for the design, the contracting, and the construction oversight of the complex vessel which is being built at the Tianjin Xingang shipyard in northern China. In addition to the Chinese shipyard the project includes several European, American, and Asian subcontractors.
Hospital operations place large and specific requirements, which have affected both the hull design and the layout of the interior. In addition, the ventilation system has been especially adapted and focus has been placed on minimizing vibration and noise. Global Mercy will also be equipped with cranes for taking on containers with provisions, vehicles and other equipment needed for long periods in port.
After completion of the ship in the first quarter of 2021 Mercy Ships expects the Global Mercy to arrive at a port in Africa for its first mission in the latter part of 2021.
Mercy Ships has been providing medical care on ships for more than 40 years and has directly benefitted more than 2.8 million people. It is often a case of basic but completely life-changing surgical procedures.
Read more about Mercy Ships here.
About the Global Mercy
Length: 174 meters
Breadth: 28.6 meters
Draught: 6.15 meters
Gross weight: 37,000 tonnes
Deadweight: 4,500 tonnes
Total area: 30,000 square meters
VIDEO: Global Mercy Timelapse
Media gallery
01 THE HOSPITAL > EQUIPPED TO HEAL > BUILT TO TRAIN
PATIENT CAPACITY 199
- ACUTE CARE BEDS
- ICU/ISOLATION BEDS
- SELF-CARE BEDS
All peri-operative and post-operative work
can be done onboard, including:
> WITH 6 OPERATING ROOMS
The simulation lab will allow trainers to simulate local conditions & limitations in order to teach best practices in low-resource environments.
Training opportunities include:
- Post-op scenario training for nursing teams
- Surgical technical teams basic skills training
- Basic surgical skills training to prepare trainees for live surgical experience
- Live surgical mentoring in selected high demand, elective procedures
02 THE CREW
CREW CAPACITY 641
- MEDICAL
- TECHNICAL/MARITIME
- NON-TECH/NON-MED & FAMILY
Ship services are designed to host up to 950 people, including local day-crew.
Crew facilities include:
- 682 seat Auditorium
- 125 Student Academy
- Gymnasium
- Cafe & Shop
- Pool
- Library
03 THE SHIP
Ship systems provide reliable and efficient power, clean water, and air conditioning for the hospital and crew.
Filtering & treating AC condensate water for technical use will reduce potable water use by approximately 50%
High efficiency air conditioning systems reduce total energy consumption by approximately 15%.