Club Zoom Speaker - Mercy Ships

Mon, Apr 19th 2021 at 7:15 pm - 9:15 pm

Club Zoom Speaker - Mercy Ships

Rotary Club of Birstall Luddites
Club Speaker - Peter Montgomery Mercy Ships

On Monday 19th April the club held a video zoom speakers evening talk by fellow Rotarian Peter Montgomery from Weighton Wold RC.

Peter has been involved in the concept of “Mercy Ships” since 2011, along with his wife who is a volunteer nurse on one of them the Africa Mercy..
“Mercy Ships” is a fleet of (two) hospital ships, which are equipped to undertake a multitude of surgeries, including removing tumours, cleft palates, cataracts, and various forms of orthopaedics.

Peter said the dental department had made 25000 extractions.

“Mercy Ships” founder, Don Stephens, realised that over 50% of the World’s population lives within 100 miles of a major sea port, and that a hospital ship could therefore deliver health care very efficiently to a large number of people, mostly along sub-Saharan African coast line

One of the attached photos depicts both ships, the original, and their newer ship.Global Mercy which is now launched and now having sea trials. Both are old Norwegian ferries, which have been fully fitted out as hospital ships, with a multitude of operating theatres. No-one gets paid (except the Captain, who is paid $1 per annum, for legal reasons). Since “Mercy Ships” started, no less than 56

third world countries have been visited, and literally, millions of patients have been helped.

Meet the crew

Mercy Ships doesn’t just take doctors and nurses – the ship is a small city, with cooks, teachers, receptionists, mechanics, IT specialists, engineers and cleaners.
There are around 400 volunteers on our hospital ship at any one time, and 1,000 serve onboard throughout the 10 month in service. The other 2 months is for ship maintenance. Peter explained that volunteer crew have to self fund (around 12.50 dollars living costs per day)
Peter said that the crew also perform another very important task in being volunteer blood donars in medical emergencies.

Since the organisation recently purchased its second ship “Global Mercy” (the first one is named “Africa Mercy”), it needs more people and more money.

Both Peter and Lorraine are PHFs, Lorraine for her service with Mercy Ships and Peter for
service to fundraising and the work hes done for the Mercy Ships.
Peter took questions from Luddite Rotarians.and President Margaret thanked Peter for giving his time to talk to us.

View Global Mercy)

A record breaking Rotary Foundation Global Grant will fund initial medical equipment on the world’s largest purpose built charitable hospital ship.

LINKS mercyships.org.uk/rotary-grant

MERCY SHIPS GLOBAL GRANT HAS BEEN APPROVED – THE BIGGEST EVER GRANTED

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Club Zoom Speaker - Mercy Ships

Mon, Apr 19th 2021 at 7:15 pm - 9:15 pm