Stepping aboard the Africa Mercy
Moira Sargent, a senior radiographer with NHS Forth Valley, has given up life’s luxuries to spend six month sabbatical volunteering on board a medical ship off the west coast of Africa. Moira is part of a volunteer crew of 400 working in Liberia for charity Mercy Ships, on the world’s largest hospital ship, the Africa Mercy.
“Liberia is very poor after 14 years of civil war,” explains Moira. “Many people have been living with war injuries such as dislocated knees and burn contractures for years because there is no one to fix them. We are offering screening days where people can come for diagnosis and treatment.”
The ship has six operating theatres, a dental clinic, a laboratory and recovery bed space for 78 patients. Moira is the sole operator of the general x-ray room, CT scanner, OPT machine and image intensifier. The CT scanner on the ship is the only one in Liberia. “Being the only person with knowledge in terms of x-ray is a challenge,” says Moira. “Sometimes there is a lot of pressure, especially when the x-ray department needed setting up, but there has not yet been a problem that couldn’t be solved. When you see the patients healed and with renewed hope it makes it all worthwhile.”
You can read Moira’s blog and find out more about Mercy Ship cruises by visiting: www.floatingmoira.com
Posted: 12/10/2007
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