The hospital ship Africa Mercy will dock at marine engineering company Dormac, in Durban, for repairs and maintenance to extend its service life.

The Africa Mercy is sailing in from Senegal and will remain in South Africa throughout the rest of this year. It intends to call in at East London before moving into active service again next year.

The seven-month programme will see the Africa Mercy undergo a range of repairs and upgrades, Dormac says.

Dormac has executed similar support to faith-based healthcare organisation Mercy Ships vessels before. With the vessel being a hospital ship, it receives preference in how she is managed by Dormac Marine and Engineering and Transnet National Port Authority, including through priority docking and berthing, the company says.

The Africa Mercy, which has served since 2007, will receive the same level of care and support as always, with a three-part approach to the repair, Dormac adds.

The refit process of the ship will be done alongside a repair quay adjacent to Dormac berths and facilities. Dormac will strip, remove and upgrade accommodation, and the refit will include an information technology (IT) upgrade on the vessel that will enhance the ship's capabilities for its operating theatres.

This IT platform will enable the Africa Mercy to match and communicate with Global Mercy, which is Mercy Ships' latest hospital ship, and will support the provision of essential training of local, in-country doctors, Dormac explains.

Additionally, there will be a drydocking phase, where the ship will go into the Prince Edward Graving dock to carry out all underwater repairs and survey works in line with Class requirements.

The last phase, to be done back alongside the repair quay, will be to complete the IT and accommodation upgrades and related services.

“Our hospital ship has been providing essential medical care and humanitarian aid to communities in need for many years, and it is vital that we keep it in top condition so that we can continue to deliver this important work,” says Mercy Ships marine operations VP Justin Ray.

“We are pleased to choose Dormac and the Durban community during this important maintenance work on the Africa Mercy. We are grateful for the support of the local community and look forward to working together during our stay,” he adds.

The Africa Mercy is equipped with five state-of-the-art operating rooms, a dental clinic, an ophthalmology unit and a laboratory. It is also home to a community of more than 400 crew members who ensure that patients receive the best possible care.

It is staffed by a dedicated team of medical professionals and volunteers from around the world who provide free surgeries, dental care and other medical services to people in need. Many of the ship’s medical and programmatic crew will continue to serve on board the newest Mercy Ships vessel the Global Mercy in Senegal during this shipyard phase, Mercy Ships says.

Further, Mercy Ships endorses strict adherence to a high level of quality and safety standards, which is also endorsed by Dormac and Dormac can comply with the most stringent Marine and Offshore International Standards, boasting full certification organisation DNV certifications for ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001.

“Dormac will ensure that the technical specifications are met and exceeded, and that we deliver on the project programme so that the vessel's future operational commitments can be met,” says Dormac Durban GM Stephen Murray.

“We are proud to partner with Mercy Ships and support their important work in Africa. Our excellent engineering support services will ensure that Mercy Ships can continue to provide medical care and relief services to people who need it most,” adds Dormac Marine and Engineering CEO Chris Sparg.

Mercy Ships has more than 30 years of history of working in Africa, where access to surgical care can be severely limited and on-location training is welcomed. The company has completed more than 200 port visits in 57 developing nations, providing medical care to more than 2.8-million people and performing more than 100 000 life-changing surgeries.