Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Grace Ayensu Danquah, has visited the Global Mercy, the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, currently docked at the Tema Port.
The visit, according to Dr Danquah, brought back memories of her early humanitarian work as a young surgeon in 2006, when she travelled from the United States to Zambia.
She recalled encountering children living with conditions such as cleft lips, bow legs and cataracts, many of whom lacked access to relatively treatable medical conditions.
Dr Danquah said those experiences fundamentally influenced her decision to pursue humanitarian surgery and use her medical training to restore not only health but also dignity and hope.
She said the arrival of the Global Mercy in Ghana represents an opportunity to provide similar life-changing interventions to people who might otherwise struggle to access specialised care.
The hospital ship is expected to remain in Ghana for 10 months, during which thousands of people are expected to benefit from free medical and dental services.
According to Dr Danquah, between 1,950 and 2,600 Ghanaians are expected to receive free surgeries, while between 1,610 and 2,145 people are projected to receive free dental care.
The planned surgical interventions include treatment for goitre and hernia, cleft lip repair, cataract surgery, reconstructive procedures for severe burns and fistula repair.
The initiative will also provide training for Ghanaian health professionals, with an estimated 100 to 250 healthcare workers, including surgeons and nurses, expected to benefit.
Dr Danquah said the training component would help create a lasting impact by strengthening the skills and capacity of Ghanaian health professionals beyond the ship’s stay.
She described the initiative as an example of collaboration between government, health professionals, volunteers and communities to improve access to specialised healthcare.
The Deputy Health Minister expressed optimism about the potential impact of the Global Mercy mission and encouraged the public to share information about the programme so that eligible people can benefit from the services.
“This is humanity in action,” she said, describing the mission as an opportunity to give people a chance to regain their health, dignity and quality of life.
