MTHE Conducts a Tour of the Facilities at Mercy Ships
30th April, 2024
The Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, together with her team from the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), has conducted a tour of the facilities at Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone. The visit aimed to showcase Mercy Ships' impact in providing essential medical services to vulnerable people and to explore continued partnerships with our universities for sustainable impact.
The tour was led by Dr. Sandra Lako, Country Director of Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone, who explained the organization's mission and the services they offer.
Mercy Ships is a non-profit, faith-based organization committed to bringing hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor through free surgical and medical care. The organization operates a hospital ship, which docks in different countries to provide medical services.
During the tour, Dr. Lako revealed that the Mercy Ships has a crew of about 450 volunteers who live on the ship, and an additional 300 Sierra Leonean day-crew who live off the ship but come to support the medical procedures.
She further explained that Mercy Ships provides seven different specialties, six of which are provided in Sierra Leone. These include:
- Maxillofacial Surgical Procedures
- Reconstructive Plastics Surgical Procedures
- General Surgery for Adults
- General Surgery for Pediatrics
- Pediatric Orthopedic Surgical Procedures
- and Eye Surgery
Each of these specialties is crucial in addressing the various healthcare needs of the Sierra Leonean population.
One of the major highlights of Mercy Ships' work in Sierra Leone is their eye surgery program. With modern equipment and highly skilled surgeons, Mercy Ships has been able to transform the lives of many visually impaired individuals in the country. The organization's dedication to providing quality care to people regardless of their religious background is also commendable.
Dr. Lako further mentioned that the only service that Mercy Ships does not provide in Sierra Leone is "Obstetric Fistula Surgical Procedures." This is because they discovered that the Aberdeen Women Center also offers the same services, so there was no need for duplication. This shows not only the organization's commitment to avoiding duplication, but also their collaboration with local institutions to provide the best care for the people.
During the tour, the Director of Education, Training and Advocacy at Mercy Ships, Suzanne Thomas, shed light on the current state of dental education in Sierra Leone. She highlighted the critical need for active dental programs, given the lack of access to proper dental care in the country.
In response to this pressing issue, Mercy Ships has joined hands with the University of Sierra Leone to bridge the gap in dental education. This collaboration has been a success, with Mercy Ships also working with the University of Gamal in Guinea to provide training on dental education. This has led to the inception of the joint dental training program between the two universities.
The Director expressed her delight to announce that five Sierra Leonean students are currently in Conakry, Guinea, learning French in preparation for the start of the dental training program later this year. These students are being sponsored by Mercy Ships throughout the process, showcasing their unwavering commitment to supporting the development of higher education in the country.
The joint dental training program between the University of Gamal and the University of Sierra Leone is a significant achievement in the field of higher education. It not only addresses the urgent need for dental care in Sierra Leone but also provides an opportunity for Sierra Leonean students to receive quality education and training in this specialized field.