President John Dramani Mahama has urged Ghana to maximise the long-term benefits of the Mercy Ships mission by using the deployment of the Global Mercy to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
He said the impact of the hospital ship’s visit should not be measured only by the number of surgeries performed during its stay in Ghana.
President Mahama made the remarks during an inspection and tour of the Global Mercy, the world’s largest purpose-built civilian hospital ship.
He said the current mission provided Ghana with an opportunity to improve specialist healthcare services while building the skills of local health professionals.
“But the value of this visit must extend beyond the surgeries performed while the ship is here in port,” President Mahama said.
He called for Ghanaian surgeons, anaesthesia professionals, nurses and other healthcare workers to take advantage of opportunities to learn from the international medical team aboard the vessel.
President Mahama also tasked the Ministry of Health to work closely with Mercy Ships on patient referrals, follow-up care and professional training.
He said patients who undergo surgery aboard the Global Mercy must continue to receive safe and appropriate care after the vessel leaves Ghana.
“A patient’s care must continue safely even after Global Mercy has left port,” he said.
The President noted that Mercy Ships had previously supported Ghana’s national plan for surgical, obstetric and anaesthesia care.
He said Ghana must build on that support to improve the capacity of its hospitals to deliver specialist services.
The current mission follows four previous Mercy Ships visits to Ghana dating back to 1991.
According to President Mahama, those missions delivered more than 2,600 surgeries and 16,700 dental procedures while supporting the development of 139 Ghanaian health professionals.
He said the history of the partnership provided a strong foundation for the current mission.
President Mahama also linked the Mercy Ships intervention to government’s broader healthcare agenda, including the expansion of free primary healthcare, strengthening of the National Health Insurance Programme and investments in hospitals and health workers.
He further highlighted the Ghana Medical Trust Fund as part of government’s efforts to reduce the financial burden of serious non-communicable diseases on families.
The President said Ghana must ensure that the knowledge, skills and systems developed through the current partnership remain useful after the Global Mercy departs.
“Ghana welcomes Mercy Ships. Let us make this visit count in the lives of our patients today and in the strength of our health systems for years to come,” he said.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️) Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭
