A team of doctors in Edmonton are remotely helping patients seeking treatment on a hospital ship that travels up and down the West African coast.
Once a Danish passenger ferry, today the is the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world. Staffed by a 450-strong volunteer crew, the ship is operated by , an international charity. The Africa Mercy generally spends about 10 months at each port.
鈥淔or a lot of our patients, they've dreamed of this white ship coming,鈥� Scottish radiology technician Martha Henderson told CTV News from Conakry, Guinea. 鈥淭he conditions that we see are the conditions of poverty.鈥�
Most of the patients Henderson meets have tumours on their heads, necks and mouths that have grown dangerously large.
鈥淚t could happen to you at home,鈥� she said of such masses. 鈥淏ut it would never get to the extent of some of the patients that we see.鈥�
While the Africa Mercy contains advanced medical equipment that many West African hospitals lack, it is missing one very important thing.
鈥淲e do not have a full-time radiologist,鈥� Henderson said.
That鈥檚 where Edmonton-based radiologist Dr. Greg Raymond and his team are stepping in.
After patients receive scans or X-ray aboard the ship, the images are sent to Edmonton for analysis. Raymond and his colleagues then advise onboard surgeons how to proceed. Over the past decade, they say they鈥檝e reviewed thousands of cases -- and all in their spare time.
鈥淚t was at first overwhelming,鈥� Raymond told CTV News. 鈥淏ut there's a great joy that comes with knowing we're actually helping them.鈥�
While the news Raymond and his team deliver from afar is not always positive, they still play an indispensable role on the Africa Mercy.
鈥淲e need them,鈥� Henderson said.
