How Africa News
The first of 40 planned paediatric orthopaedic free surgeries this month was conducted Tuesday by medical personnel aboard the world’s largest civilian hospital ship.
Amadou, a four-year-old boy, was the first patient to be operated on aboard the Global Mercy ship, which is now stationed in Dakar, Senegal.
He was born with one windswept and one bowed leg, both of which can be rectified with early care.
It is also the first time that a single ship would serve two countries from the same port. Up to 25% of the surgery patients are likely to come from nearby The Gambia, at the request of the Senegalese government.
Global Mercy will perform over 800 procedures over the next four months.
There are currently no completely certified paediatric orthopaedic surgeons working in Senegal.
Mercy Ships offered training and mentoring to almost 2,500 participants during the preceding 2022 field deployment.
