THOUSANDS AWAIT MERCYSHIP TO LIBERIA

The humanitarin medical ship, Mercyship is expected to arrive in Liberia soon, to cater thousands of medical cases. During its stay here last year, J. Cholo Brooks featured its works as the story seen below:

"The hospital ship which arrived in Liberia for the first in March of last year with a crew of over 370 professional medical staff is said to be making a tremendous strive in rescuing thousands of Liberians who have been victimized by various illnesses, including the restoration of their deformities.The Mercy Ship Anastasis which is currently being docked at the Free Port of Monrovia is providing free specialized surgeries, development assistance, and educational programs, given thousands of Liberians the opportunity to benefit from its humanitarian programs and services.When our Liberia Correspondent visited the Ship at the National Port of Authority in Monrovia to witness its numerous humanitarian medical services on board, hundreds of children and the elderly were seen trooped aboard the ship to seek proper medical treatment, some of which could not be handled by local medical practitioners due to the lack of modern technology and the professional medical know-how.Taken our Correspondent on a tour of the ship, its Media Liaison Officer, J. Todd Sorrell said the ship grouped 31 nationals from around the world who are voluntarily contributing their humanitarian services to the Liberian people who are drowning in the health situation, especially in the health sector of countries visited over the years.He said Mercy Ship Anastasis global humanitarian services is not only limited to health care services; its highly skilled surgeons perform thousands of operations to remove tumours, correct cleft lips and palates, align crossed eye, repair fistulas, give sight to the blind, as well as provide a wide range orthopedic operations.Stressing further Mr. Sorrell said the following professional medical checkup such as eye surgeries, eye laser, eye consultation, plastic surgeries, dental care and the distribution of prescription of glasses were also been looked at, others include Church empowerment; renovation of schools, training of teachers, workshops, the distribution of Bibles, HIV/AIDS awareness and the holding of church leadership conference.Speaking further on board the Ship, the Executive Director of the M/V Anastasis (Mercy Ship), Madam Solfrid Quist said the mission of the crew to Liberia did also focus on training; the training of traditional birth attendants, baby feeding education, Community Health care education and the training of local surgeons.“Presently we are carryout a renovation of one of a school in the Royesville area, and also we are involve in water and sanitation; the drilling of 4 wells, the construction of 20 latrines and the constructing of bridges in rural Liberia”, the Mercy Ship Executive Director stressed.During the tour of the ship several persons were seen making effort to receive the “free medical gift” from their visitors, the Mercy Ship professional medical crew who were also seen humanitarianly taken care of their Liberian patients, “Mercy Ship provides medical care, relief aid, community development and long term-sustainable change in developing nations”, the ship promotional leaflet handled over to our Correspondent on board the ship read.Also speaking to our Correspondent, the Program Officer of the M/V Anastasis (Mercy Ship), Chris Guilebeau, an American said they were overwhelm of the reception being accorded them from the Liberian leadership headed by Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who praised the entire management of the ship during her visit on board the ship, followed her visit, the Vice President of Liberia Ambassador Joseph Boakai also made a brief visit.Many of the patients interviewed by our Liberia Correspondent praised the staff of this global medical ship, “ words are inadequate to express, these guys are indeed good, can you imagine I have been suffering for over fifteen years with swollen face and crossed eye, but since I came over on board this ship my problem has been solved. Thank God for Mercy Ship,” a lady who just finished with her operation prior to our Correspondent’s on board the ship said.This lady was among 100 others who had gone on board the ship for treatment, some of the patients said they were being isolated in their communities due to severity of their illnesses, “With God being on my side, Mercy Ship is my savior, I will never forget them”, expressing her joy, one of the ladies, perhaps in her late 40s speaking to our Correspondent on board the ship said.The patients including elderly and children were seen on the ship with deformities, seeking the professional medical assistance of the Mercy Ship crew, “My child has been suffering from swollen eye, many in our community rejected him because of his condition, but as God could have it, I brought him over to the Mercy Ship people, he has gone through the operation, everything is okayed with him”, another Liberian in a joyous mood following an eye operation on her nine years old son.The work of the medical crew of Mercy Ship was indeed amazing as our Correspondent glanced at some of the patients mostly kids some of whom in their early teens, the smiling faces of most of the workers on board this ship impressed him as he went on with his tour on the ship. “Everyone here are God fearing people who belong to a God believing Church; as volunteers we put God first in our doing”, one of the girls on board ship, perhaps in her early twenties from the United States said."