Global Mercy visit must strengthen Ghana’s surgical care system - Health Minister

The arrival of the Global Mercy hospital ship in Ghana must be viewed as a partnership to strengthen the country’s surgical care system and support the implementation of national health priorities.

The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, made the remarks at a welcome ceremony for the Global Mercy at the Port of Tema, where government officials, diplomats, healthcare leaders and the ship’s international crew gathered to mark its arrival.

He said the 10-month field service by Mercy Ships should not be treated as a stand-alone humanitarian intervention but as part of efforts to improve access to safe and equitable surgical care in Ghana.

He said the field service complemented Ghana’s National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan, which was launched in 2024 to expand access to 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,” he said.

According to him, the success of the field service should be measured by its long-term impact on patients, healthcare professionals and health institutions, even after the ship leaves Ghana.

During its 10-month stay, volunteer medical teams are expected to perform between 1,950 and 2,600 free surgeries and provide between 1,610 and 2,145 dental treatments for Ghanaians.

The field service is also expected to train between 100 and 250 Ghanaian healthcare professionals through mentoring, education and clinical placements aboard the ship.

The Minister said the HOPE Centre would also support patients before and after surgery while creating opportunities for Ghanaian healthcare professionals to work alongside international volunteers.

He thanked the ministries, government agencies, security services and health institutions that supported preparations for the arrival of the vessel.

The Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Ships, Dr Michelle White, said the return of the organisation to Tema carried special meaning because its first hospital ship, the Anastasis, docked at the port more than 30 years ago.

She said Mercy Ships had trained close to 3,000 Ghanaian healthcare professionals and provided more than 2,500 surgical procedures in Ghana since 1991.

Dr White said the organisation would work closely 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.

She said the partnership would also provide opportunities for postgraduate training placements aboard the Global Mercy.

The Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, welcomed the vessel on behalf of the transport sector and assured the crew of the support of Ghana’s port authorities throughout its stay.

He said Ghana’s ports served as a gateway to the wider West African sub-region, including neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Since 1990, Mercy Ships has completed 47 field services across 14 African countries and delivered more than 128,800 surgical procedures worldwide.

The organisation says its work has increasingly focused on strengthening health systems through partnerships, professional education and local capacity building, an approach that aligns with Ghana’s National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan.