Mercy Ships to Resume Free Surgeries in Sierra Leone This August
Mercy Ships, the international faith-based charity operating hospital ships, is preparing for the next phase of its surgical mission in Sierra Leone, in close partnership with the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health.
The Global Mercy™, the world’s largest purpose-built civilian hospital ship, will temporarily depart Sierra Leone for scheduled maintenance in Cadiz, Spain, before returning in August 2025 to continue delivering free, life-changing surgeries and healthcare training until June 2026.
Since its arrival in Freetown in August 2023, Mercy Ships has performed more than 3,630 free surgeries and provided training for over 290 Sierra Leonean healthcare professionals both on board and on the ground. Each week, between 4 and 8 local participants receive hands-on surgical training aboard the Global Mercy™.
Dr. Sandra Lako, Mercy Ships Country Director for Sierra Leone, said, “We look forward to the ship’s return in August as we continue partnering with the Ministry of Health and the University of Sierra Leone to strengthen surgical care. Even after the ship departs in 2026, our agreement with the government reflects a shared commitment to lasting impact through 2030.”
This upcoming mission will mark Mercy Ships’ third consecutive field service in Sierra Leone and its eighth visit since 1992, emphasizing a long-standing partnership dedicated to improving access to safe, essential surgical care.
The Sierra Leone Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, praised the collaboration: “Our partnership with Mercy Ships has been truly life-transforming. We are proud of the significant contributions in improving access to free surgical services and building healthcare workforce capacity through training. We look forward to the next phase and will provide full support to maximize the benefit to Sierra Leoneans.”
In addition to surgical services, Mercy Ships continues to support critical healthcare education programs, including the nurse anaesthesia diploma course with the University of Sierra Leone, addressing the country’s shortage of anaesthesia providers. The goal is for this program to be fully led by Sierra Leonean faculty to ensure sustainable professional growth.
Mercy Ships also partners with Connaught Hospital in the Safer Surgery programme, which focuses on strengthening surgical teams and improving patient care outcomes. Furthermore, dental education support is maintained by sponsoring Sierra Leonean dental students studying at Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Guinea.
