Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The Global Mercy Ship, the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, has reportedly set to depart from Cádiz, Spain, for Freetown, Sierra Leone, following a major maintenance period.
Following its departure from Sierra Leone on June 17, 2025, the Global Mercy is scheduled to return in the ongoing month, August, 2025. The ship will continue its mission of delivering specialized surgical care until its final departure in June 2026.
According to a joint press statement from the Ministry of Health and Mercy Ships, a dedicated team will remain on the ground to support and strengthen the country’s healthcare workforce and surgical care system through 2030.
Since its initial arrival in Freetown in August 2023, the Global Mercy has made a substantial impact, providing over 3,630 free surgeries and training for more than 290 healthcare professionals.
The training has taken place both on board the ship and on the ground, with between four and eight Sierra Leonean participants receiving on-ship training each week.
The upcoming visit will mark Mercy Ships’ third consecutive field service in Sierra Leone and its eighth visit to the country since 1992. The organization aims to reinforce its long-standing partnership with Sierra Leone, focusing on improving access to safe surgical care for those who need it most.
In collaboration with the University of Sierra Leone, Mercy Ships is poised to support the delivery of a nurse anaesthesia diploma course, addressing the critical shortage of anaesthesia providers in the country. The goal is to transition this program to be fully led by Sierra Leonean faculty, ensuring a sustainable increase in qualified professionals.
Mercy Ships affirmed its continuous partnership with Connaught Hospital through the Safer Surgery programme, which emphasizes strengthening surgical teams and achieving measurable improvements in patient care. Support for dental education will also persist, with sponsorship for Sierra Leonean dental students studying at Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Guinea, in partnership with the University of Sierra Leone.
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