Mercy Ships is targeting more than 2,000 free surgeries and approximately 3,500 dental procedures during its 10-month medical mission in Ghana, as the humanitarian organisation seeks to provide specialist care to patients who may otherwise have limited access to such services. Trustee of Mercy Ships, Dame Anne Gloag, announced the target when the organisation hosted President John Dramani Mahama aboard the Global Mercy at the Tema Harbour.
She disclosed that about 200 patients had already undergone surgery, with thousands more expected to benefit before the mission ends. The procedures include cataract operations, cleft lip and palate repairs, tumour removals and orthopaedic surgeries for children. President Mahama said the mission’s impact extends beyond the medical treatment itself, particularly for children whose conditions may have affected their confidence, social lives and ability to participate fully in everyday activities.
“You can imagine that child going back. He has been the butt of jokes of his friends because he has got curved legs or clubfoot or something like that and when he leaves this ship and goes back, he is going to be on that football field with his friends playing like any ordinary child,” he said.
The President also urged Mercy Ships and the Ministry of Health to ensure that the mission leaves a lasting impact on Ghana’s healthcare system through skills transfer, effective referrals and stronger post-operative care. He called for continued collaboration on patient referrals, rehabilitation and follow-up treatment after the Global Mercy departs Ghana, stressing that “a patient’s care must continue safely even after Global Mercy has left.”
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said the government would work to maximise the benefits of the vessel’s 10-month stay, including strengthening support for emergency cases and post-surgical care. Mercy Ships has previously carried out four missions in Ghana since 1991, providing more than 2,600 surgeries and 16,700 dental procedures, while also contributing to the training of 139 Ghanaian health professionals.
