2024-05-10 22:34:38
A sickbay on a ship is nothing extraordinary. But what if we tell you that there is an entire hospital on board? This is the extraordinary story of the humanitarian organization Mercy Ships. Founded by generous American and Swiss donors, it has two hospital ships. Currently on the African coasts, every day, they save lives thanks to on-board personnel who are always volunteers. A third hospital ship is being built. Florine Perri, the France director of Mercy Ships, is looking for applications. Interview.
RFI: Your hospital ships are incredible, gigantic decks and floors, what can we find on board?
Florine Perri : Already the operating theater and the hospital which occupy two decks out of twelve. With hospital cabins on two floors. Enough to rest the sick and sometimes, some members of their family. On board, we have all types of surgery (but especially facial operations or malformations which cause discrimination), there is also the training school available for new arrivals. All the comfort for our staff is there. A gigantic restaurant, a bar, a sports field, a rest room…
You invite listeners to see the images of the boats on your website: mercyships.fr.
Really, yes. You will understand why we have so many candidate volunteers. Comfort, team spirit, good humor and safety are guaranteed.
How many volunteers for which professions?
The vast majority of these 3,000 volunteers are medical personnel. Nurses, doctors, surgeons. But we obviously need maritime professions. Captains, mechanics as well as merchandise inventory managers or human resources directors.
In 45 years, you have traveled the seas all over the world. Do you reserve the future for African countries, particularly with this third hospital liner planned for 2029?
Yes, we are currently operating in countries on the West African coast. We are also in Sierra Leone, the boat will stay there all next year. Our boats also operate in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Benin and Madagascar where we are at the moment. For English-speaking African countries, we go to Tanzania, Liberia.
Are you saying that you need French-speaking staff?
Yes. On board, nurses must speak French and English. Even if it’s just a conversation level, it’s important to be able to master both languages.
How do you position yourself to decide on destinations?
So let me be clear. Our hospital ships do not replace countries’ health systems. Governments must appeal to us, they apply and we sign an agreement.
Patients are chosen by medical authorities, the government?
These are the countries, depending on their needs and patients, which have specific surgical requests. Again, we don’t replace, we help.
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