Built to Heal

Global Mercy

The idea behind Mercy Ships is both simple and incredibly powerful: if modern hospital ships can sail to places where people lack access to safe, affordable medical care, then the care can come to them.

Mercy Ships was founded on the belief that approximately 50% of the world’s population lives within 100 miles of a coast. Today, an estimated 5 billion people worldwide lack access to safe surgery. The Mercy Ships bring specialized surgical care directly to communities that need it, with ships filled with state-of-the-art medical equipment and staffed by volunteer doctors, nurses, medical professionals, technicians, teachers, physical therapists, and countless others—all driven by a desire to serve and make the world a healthier place.

Don Stephens founded Mercy Ships in 1978 with the purchase of the Anastasis, where he and his family actually lived for ten years. During his time as President, Don led thousands of professional volunteers from more than 60 nations, along with employees working in offices around the world.

The Mercy Ships fleet has changed over the years, and today there are two hospital ships in service: the Global Mercy and the Africa Mercy.

I’ll be serving aboard the Global Mercy.

The Global Mercy entered service in 2022 and is the first purpose-built hospital ship in the Mercy Ships fleet. It more than doubled the organization’s surgical capacity. The purpose-designed hospital decks are really the heart of the ship, with six operating theaters, hospital wards capable of caring for 200 patients, a laboratory, general outpatient, ophthalmology, and dental clinics.

And this is no small ship! While in port, the Global Mercy can accommodate up to 950 people, including 641 volunteer crew members. It also has first-class training facilities, allowing Mercy Ships volunteers to help provide sustainable training and support for local healthcare professionals in essential surgical and related skills.

The Global Mercy arrived in Ghana on August 19th and welcomed its first patient aboard on September 7th.

I’ll be one of the first general surgeons to arrive during this mission, working alongside two other general surgeons. I’m really looking forward to meeting them—and the rest of the OR team—over the next few days.

My first clinic is scheduled for September 14th, with surgery to follow shortly thereafter.

So, for the next couple of days, I have a feeling my primary job is going to be figuring out how to get around this enormous ship without getting hopelessly lost.

Wish me luck! 🚢⚕️

Crew on arrival in Ghana