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 is 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, contracting, and construction oversight of the complex vessel built at the Tianjin Xingang shipyard in northern China. In addition to the Chinese shipyard, the project included several European, American, and Asian subcontractors.

Hospital operations place large and specific requirements, which have affected both the hull design and the interior layout. In addition, the ventilation system has been specially adapted and focus has been placed on minimising vibration and noise. Global Mercy is also equipped with cranes for taking on containers with provisions, vehicles and other equipment needed for long periods in port.

The ship was completed in the second quarter of 2021, and Mercy Ships expects the Global Mercy to arrive at a port in Africa for its first mission in 2022.

Mercy Ships has provided 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