Mercy Ships is targeting more than 2,000 free surgeries and about 3,500 dental treatments during its 10-month medical mission in Ghana, with the humanitarian organisation seeking to extend specialist care to patients who may otherwise struggle to access such services.

Trustee of Mercy Ships, Dame Anne Gloag, disclosed the target during the organisation’s engagement with President John Dramani Mahama aboard the Global Mercy at the Tema Harbour.

She said about 200 patients had already undergone surgery, with the mission expected to reach thousands more during its stay in Ghana. Procedures include cataract surgeries, cleft lip and palate repairs, tumour removals and childhood orthopaedic operations.

President Mahama said the impact of the mission went beyond the medical procedures themselves, particularly for children whose conditions had affected their confidence and participation in everyday life.

“You can imagine that child going back. He has been the butt of jokes of his friends because he has got curved legs or clubfoot or something like that and when he leaves this ship and goes back, he is going to be on that football field with his friends playing like any ordinary child,” he said.

The President also called for the mission to leave a lasting benefit for Ghana’s health system through skills transfer and stronger follow-up care.

He urged the Ministry of Health to work with Mercy Ships on patient referrals, rehabilitation and continued treatment after the vessel leaves Ghana, stressing: “A patient’s care must continue safely even after Global Mercy has left.”

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said government would work to maximise the benefits of the ship’s 10-month stay, including support for emergency cases and post-surgery care.

Mercy Ships has previously undertaken four missions in Ghana since 1991, delivering more than 2,600 surgeries and 16,700 dental procedures while supporting the training of 139 Ghanaian health professionals.