The Africa Mercy - Hospital Ship

A Remarkable Hospital Ship

Volunteers from over 49 nations have served onboard the Africa Mercy, which was acquired in 1999 and built specifically for the Mercy Ships mission. It is the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world, effectively more than doubling the annual medical capacity of her predecessors.

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At 16,572 tons the Africa Mercy is currently the largest civilian hospital ship in the world.

Acquired in 1999 through a donation from the Balcraig Foundation, the former Danish rail ferry Droning Ingrid was re-named the Africa Mercy in April 2000.

The Africa Mercy has meeting and work spaces as well as berths for an average crew of 450, and has had over 3,400 crew from 72 countries serve on board since its inception in 2007.

Equipped with numerous vehicles, Mercy Ships is able to deliver hope and healing to less accessible areas.

Mercy Ships crew are compassionate, resilient, adventuresome, and international. Together this unique group of people serve in many roles with a common vision: to bring hope and healing to the poor.

The Africa Mercy Specifications

Fleet Dates

2007 - present

Length

152m

Registered

Malta

Breadth

23.7m

Crew Capacity

474

Gross Tonnage

16,572

Main Engine

4 B&W (3120 kW each)

Built

Elsinore, Denmark 1980

Draft

6.0m

Facilities and Features

State-of-the-art facilities

The hospital includes five operating theatres, recovery, intensive care, and low dependency wards—totaling 80 patient beds.

Onboard surgical capacity: ~7,000 interventions per year
Instruments of note: CT Scan, X-Ray, laboratory services, a Nikon Coolscope for remote diagnosis
Data transmission: Onboard satellite communication system transmits diagnoses and other data

Bringing care to local communities

In addition to the surgeries performed onboard, ship-based teams serve in local villages providing a wide array of services to increase health and well-being which includes:

Dental clinics
Medical clinics
Community health education
Construction and agricultural training

Transporting our most precious cargo

The Africa Mercy has meeting and work spaces as well as berths for an average crew of 450. This includes 26 family cabins, 25 couples/2-berth cabins, and the balance consists of 1, 2, 3, and 4-berth cabins.

Safety and security

Automatic sprinkler system located throughout accommodation and hospital areas
Smoke detector system pinpoints any fire’s exact location
CO2 gas-flooding system as well as a “Hi Fog” system controls localized machinery fires
24-hour security guards, metal detector, and screening devices
Closed-circuit TV monitors. Critical spaces locked 24/7