{"id":44726,"date":"2022-06-06T08:01:11","date_gmt":"2022-06-06T06:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/global-mercy-begins-local-healthcare-training-following-historic-week-of-events-in-dakar\/"},"modified":"2022-06-06T08:01:11","modified_gmt":"2022-06-06T06:01:11","slug":"global-mercy-begins-local-healthcare-training-following-historic-week-of-events-in-dakar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/global-mercy-begins-local-healthcare-training-following-historic-week-of-events-in-dakar\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Mercy\u2122 Begins Local Healthcare Training, Following Historic Week of Events in Dakar"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nA prestigious award for founder Don Stephens and blessing of the Global Mercy\u2122 add to the launch of a packed training schedule designed to increase healthcare capacity in Africa<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

DAKAR, Senegal–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In the midst of celebrations around the arrival of the Global Mercy<\/i>\u2122 to Senegal, training has already begun by the crew of the world\u2019s largest civilian hospital ship, currently docked in Dakar for its first African mission.\n<\/p>\n

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\nThis month more than 260 Senegalese healthcare professionals will receive training on board this brand-new hospital ship, through a variety of courses, including surgical skills, SAFE anesthesia, nursing skills, and more. These first of many training sessions will address topics impacting delivery of safe surgical care.\n<\/p>\n

\nDuring the week, Don Stephens, Founder of Mercy Ships<\/a> received the Commander of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal. Veteran surgeon Dr. Gary Parker, Africa Mercy<\/i>\u00ae<\/sup> Chief Medical Officer, received the Officer of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal at the Presidential Palace. The Order of the Lion is reserved for only the most distinguished civil or military service.\n<\/p>\n

\nCeremonies throughout the past week commemorated more than 30 years of service in Africa and were concluded with a special ceremony of naming and blessing for the Global Mercy<\/i>, attended by key members of Mercy Ships, governmental dignitaries, and partners including WHO Africa, Johnson & Johnson, and Smile Train.\n<\/p>\n

\nAt the Ceremony of Blessing, Dr. Diop, Secretary General of Senegal, said \u201cIt\u2019s my pleasure to be here on behalf of the President to help my country, (which is) facing huge surgical needs as you know. We are very honored and proud to host the Global Mercy<\/i> for the first time in Africa. Access to surgery is very limited and expensive. On one hand, hospitals are not well equipped. On the other, our medical staff are not well trained. Mercy Ships comes as a gift.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\nGert van de Weerdhof, Mercy Ships Chief Executive Officer, stated, \u201cThis is a holy moment. After many years of planning, preparation, and partnership, the Global Mercy<\/i> officially becomes part of the Mercy Ships fleet, doubling opportunities for safe and free surgery to take place, transforming lives not only of the patients but their families and communities.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\nHe went on to say, \u201cWe aim to provide approximately 5,000 training hours during this first visit of the Global Mercy,<\/i> incorporating areas of the hospital we could never usually use for training in a field service, creating an impactful experience for our participants. We look forward to returning in 2023 to Dakar to continue our support and see surgical capacity strengthened.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\nLast week H.E. President of Senegal Macky Sall inaugurated the world\u2019s largest private floating hospital and committed to accelerate access to surgical, obstetric, and aesthetic care for the nations of Africa. Representatives from Cameroon, the Union of Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal gathered on board the Global Mercy<\/i> to approve a strategic road map to improve surgical care for African nations by 2030, where an estimated 93% of sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to safe surgery.\n<\/p>\n

\nGlobal humanitarian organization Mercy Ships and its partners in Africa used this opportunity to come together in an unprecedented and strategic effort to improve access to safer surgery across the continent through a series of milestone events, including the agreement of the Dakar Declaration, a plan to accelerate access to surgical, obstetric, and anesthetic care across Africa, which H.E. President Macky Sall will now take forward to the rest of the African Union.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe new hospital ship, the Global Mercy<\/i>\u2122, is 174 meters long, 28.6 meters wide and has space for 200 patients, six operating rooms, a laboratory, general outpatient clinics, dental, and eye clinics. The hospital decks cover a total area of 7,000 square meters and contain the latest training facilities. When in full service, the ship will be able to accommodate up to 950 people when docked, including crewmembers and volunteers from all over the world and serve collaboratively with the Africa Mercy<\/i>, in operation since 2007.\n<\/p>\n

\nOver the next 50 years of the Global Mercy<\/i>\u2019s lifespan, it\u2019s expected that more than 150,000 lives will be transformed through surgery alone, with each transformation representing a person with a name, a face, a story, a family, and a purpose. Thousands of African medical professionals will receive training and mentoring with the goal of multiplied impact within their own communities.\n<\/p>\n

\nFollowing the four-week training period in Dakar, the ship will complete final equipping in the Canary Islands for the remainder of 2022 and plans to return to Dakar in 2023 for the crew\u2019s first surgical field service. The Africa Mercy<\/i> will remain in Senegal until the end of the year, continuing to provide surgeries and bringing hope and healing to many.\n<\/p>\n

\nRecordings of the ceremonies include:\n<\/p>\n