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Jun 30, 2020
By the Philips Foundation team
In Africa, people are more than twice as likely to die from surgery complications. At the same time, millions experience health, social and economic decline due to a lack of access to quality surgery. By partnering up with Mercy Ships, we aim to address that, contributing to their mission to provide free surgeries and medical care to thousands of people where healthcare is scarce.
For nearly 40 years, Mercy Ships has brought hope and healing by providing free surgeries and medical care to thousands of people in countries where healthcare is scarce. But the need for safe and qualitative surgery is still staggering. According to a study by Lancet in 2018, patients undergoing surgery in Africa are more than twice as likely to die following an operation than the global average, despite generally being younger, healthier, and the surgery they are undergoing being minor. In addition, millions of people experience chronic pain, financial catastrophe and social stigma because of injuries, ailments, and disfigurements that surgery could quickly fix. The use of medical imaging, such as X-ray radiography, ultrasound and computed tomography (CT), is considered essential to diagnose, and treat diseases and injuries carefully.
The work at Mercy Ships is a great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. That’s what really matters.
Dr. Patricia Eyoup Sen, Ophthalmologist at Mercy Ships
By partnering up with Mercy Ships, we aim to contribute to their mission of providing free surgeries and medical care to thousands of people where healthcare is scarce. As a first contribution, we provide the means to Mercy Ships to install a high-quality CT scanner on the Global Mercy, the new hospital vessel currently under construction. This will strengthen the capabilities for the health professionals working onboard to diagnose patients before undergoing surgery, and to provide post-surgery screening if required. Next to that, having a confidential space for the medical team to plan for the safest and most effective outcome is a key component in the treatment plan for the patients. “The work at Mercy Ships is a great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others,” Dr. Patricia Eyoup Sen, Ophthalmologist at Mercy Ships, said. “That’s what really matters.” We are looking forward to seeing the completion of Global Mercy’s construction and are keen to continue the dialogue with Mercy Ships on how we can support them in further enhancing access to surgical care on the ship or onshore
