Ryan Cardoza

The next country that the Africa Mercy will be located at is the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).

The ship will arrive in Pointe-Noire, on August 9th, 2013 and will be providing free medical care in the country for ten months.

Onboard there are six operating rooms, recovery, intensive care, and low dependency wards. Through these facilities, the crew is able to offer services in the following areas:

The term “Congo” brings up safety questions because of news reports related to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a separate and distinct neighboring country. DRC is a significantly larger country than Congo-Brazzaville, and spans some two-thirds of the African continent. There is a conflict zone in its eastern region, far removed from any part of Congo-Brazzaville, and some 1,800 kilometers distant from Pointe Noire.

All crew and guest visiting the Africa Mercy receive a security briefing soon after arrival. The ship’s Master as well as the Ship Security Officer and the Programs Security Officer keep current on country and local security issues throughout the field service. This includes receiving up to the moment security information from the U.S. and other embassies, as well as from local and non-governmental sources. Crew and guest are kept informed of changing circumstances and precautions that should be taken to avoid harm. Mercy Ships treats the safety and security of its crew, patients, and guests as its top priority.

The official language in the country is French and its time zone is UTC+01.

I hope you find this information useful.

Blessings,
Ryan