Cape Town - Born with one windswept leg and one bowed leg, a four-year-old from Senegal has become the first patient to receive surgery on board the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, the Global Mercy ™.
His surgery is the first of over 40 planned paediatric orthopaedic operations this month. Over the next four months, the Global Mercy will provide over 800 safe, free surgeries.
The ship will serve two countries through one port, and at the invitation of the Senegalese government, up to 25% of the surgery patients are expected from nearby The Gambia.
“I am looking forward to seeing the boy walking normally, properly, to be normal, to be like the others. I will be happy for that. I am looking forward to seeing that happen," said the young boy's family member, who joined him as his caregiver.
In this first surgery, consultant paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Rachel Buckingham was assisted by Andrew Wainwright, both from the Oxford University Trust.
"Senegal does not yet have their own paediatric orthopaedic surgeon. What keeps me coming back is the need. It’s the ability to train local healthcare workers and make a difference. Mercy Ships really wants to do itself out of a job. You go into medicine to have an impact, so here we have a massive impact," said Buckingham.
This new ship started as a dream of Mercy Ships founder Don Stephens over a decade ago.
The Global Mercy will focus on bringing hope and healing through the following surgical specialities: maxillofacial, general, paediatric specialised general, orthopaedic, reconstructive plastics, and ophthalmology.
While it is the first surgical field service for the Global Mercy, this will be the third time that a Mercy Ship has served in Senegal since 2019. During the last field service in the Port of Dakar from February to late November 2022, sister hospital ship, the Africa Mercy®, provided 765 surgeries to 695 patients.
Cape Times