The Global Mercy, the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, has arrived at the Port of Tema for a 10-month medical mission expected to provide up to 2,600 free surgeries and more than 2,100 dental treatments to Ghanaians.
The arrival marks the fifth field service by Mercy Ships in Ghana and was celebrated at a welcome ceremony attended by government officials, diplomats, healthcare leaders and members of the ship’s international volunteer crew.
During its stay, volunteer medical teams are expected to perform between 1,950 and 2,600 surgeries and provide between 1,610 and 2,145 dental treatments. The mission will also train an estimated 100 to 250 Ghanaian healthcare professionals through mentoring, education and clinical placements aboard the vessel.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said the mission formed part of a partnership between Ghana and Mercy Ships that had existed for more than 30 years.
He said the collaboration complemented Ghana’s National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP), launched in 2024 to expand access to safe and equitable surgical care across the country.
“It is therefore important that we view the arrival of the Global Mercy not as a stand-alone intervention, but as a collaborative effort to support and accelerate Ghana’s own national priorities,” Mr Akandoh said.
He stressed that the success of the mission should be measured not only by the number of procedures performed but also by its long-term impact on patients, healthcare professionals and institutions after the ship leaves Ghana.
The Minister also highlighted the role of the HOPE Center, which provides support to patients before and after surgery while creating opportunities for Ghanaian healthcare professionals to work alongside international medical volunteers.
He expressed appreciation to the ministries, agencies, security services and health institutions involved in preparations for the ship’s arrival.
Mercy Ships Chief Executive Officer, Dr Michelle White, said the return to Tema carried special significance because the organisation’s first hospital ship, Anastasis, docked at the port more than three decades ago.
She said Mercy Ships had trained nearly 3,000 Ghanaian healthcare professionals and delivered more than 2,500 surgical procedures in Ghana since 1991.
Dr White noted that the organisation also supported the Ghana Surgical Dialogue last year, bringing together national and international stakeholders to discuss surgical, obstetric and anaesthesia care.
She said Mercy Ships would work with the Ministry of Health, universities and healthcare institutions, including the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Ghana College of Nursing and Midwifery, to align the field service with Ghana’s health priorities.
The collaboration will also include postgraduate training placements aboard the Global Mercy.
The Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, welcomed the vessel on behalf of the transport sector and described Ghana’s ports as a gateway to the wider West African sub-region.
He said the country’s ports served neighbouring landlocked countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and pledged the support of port authorities to ensure smooth operations throughout the ship’s stay.
Since 1990, Mercy Ships has conducted 47 field services across 14 African countries and delivered more than 128,800 surgical procedures worldwide.
The organisation said its approach had evolved from direct humanitarian intervention towards long-term health system strengthening through partnerships, education and locally led capacity building.
That approach, it said, was closely aligned with Ghana’s NSOAP and would help ensure that the impact of the Global Mercy’s current mission exte nds beyond the ship’s 10-month stay.
