An edition of the Tyne Tees Television programme investigating topics affecting life in the North-East. In this edition a look at the work of the MV African Mercy, the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship, which was converted from being a rail-ferry into a hospital ship by A&P Group shipyards at Hebburn. Following its departure from Blyth in Northumberland, the African Mercy arrives in one of the poorest countries in the world, Liberia in West Africa. While there the programme...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television programme investigating topics affecting life in the North-East. In this edition a look at the work of the MV African Mercy, the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship, which was converted from being a rail-ferry into a hospital ship by A&P Group shipyards at Hebburn. Following its departure from Blyth in Northumberland, the African Mercy arrives in one of the poorest countries in the world, Liberia in West Africa. While there the programme meets some of the four-hundred volunteers who work onboard helping to relieve suffering and improve the quality of life for thousands. Several of those featured come from the North East and Yorkshire. Title: Northern Eye. The Hospital Ship The MV African Mercyis docked in he port of Monrovia, the capital of Libera in West Africa. Onboard local men and women sit waiting to see a doctor, one woman arrives at the dock limping in crutches. A phantom car ride past shanty towns and buildings in one of the poorest countries on earth. A Mercy Ship Land Rover drives along a dirt track changes to a village where local men and children stand around mud huts. Under a marquee a crowd sits waiting to see a doctor, a mother holds her child in her arms. Volunteer American nurse Sarah Geeshan(?) appears and calls out names from a list. An older woman comes forward and Sarah takes her into the medial areas. As she does so Sarah talks about who she is, where she comes from and what she does as an eye nurse prioritising those for treatment. The African Mercy still docked along a quayside at Monrovia on which children ride around on buggies. Sarah speaks with the old women about her cataracts condition. Four months earlier the MV African Mercy docked at Blyth in Northumberland preparing to set sale on her maiden voyage to Liberia. General views around the £30 million converted Danish rail-ferry showing the state-of-the- art hospital ship. A wooden plaque above a doorway reads ‘Oak Foundation Hospital’. The Captain of the African Mercy Jurryan Schutte speaks about the crew and making the ship ready for West Africa. Along the dockside members of the crew and a gangway into the ship. Onboard Jean Campbell, Healthcare Services Manager talks about her involvement in the design of the hospital side of the ship and working alongside those at A&P Group shipyards at Hebburn who did the conversion. Along the quayside at Blyth crowds of well-wishers, many from A&P at Hebburn, wait for the African Mercy to depart. Chaplin Phil Astwood talks about the eight-year project and waiting on this day. On board members of crew wave at those on the quayside, one women becomes tearful. Two women from South Shields talk about getting to know those on the ship and wanting to say goodbye to them. Don Stephens, founder of Mercy Ships, hopes the people of the North-East send their good wishes as this ship is going to serve the worlds neediest for decades to come. The African Mercy depart Blyth heading into the North Sea. As the African Mercy pulls into Monrovia the Cairncross family from the North-East play in the rain on the deck of the ship near their quarters. Each of the three children introduce themselves, Rachel aged 10, Iona aged 9 and Nathanial aged 4, followed by their parents Rob and Anne. Sitting at his desk on the phone, Rob explains in voiceover what he does as the ships Purser. Anne takes the camera on a tour of the family’s apartment explaining a little of what life is like onboard. Local children walk past washing handing from a line under the canopy of a house in a Liberian village. A group of local children gather around the camera excitedly. Solfrid Quist, Africa Mercy Executive Director, states that the mission statement for Mercy Ships to serve the poorest of the poor. As Solfrid continues to speak about the facilities onboard the African Mercy more views of the village and its people and doctors onboard performing eye surgeries. The older woman seen earlier is helped onboard the African Mercy for her eye operation, she is seen by a doctor who puts drops into her eyes. Dr Russ Leavitt explains how cataracts develop earlier in patients from places like West Africa. On the Children’s Wards a small girl with a cast on her leg tuck eagerly into a bowl of food. Jean Campbell talks about how the ship has recently been focusing on paediatric orthopaedic surgeries. As she talks about these surgeries around her children and babies in various casts lying on beds or trollies eating or sleeping. Some of the children have a parent with them helping with the feeding. A metal plaque on a wall reads ‘Ophthalmic Operating Theatre. Sponsored by Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland’ changes to an operating theatre where Dr Russ Leavitt takes a closer look at the old woman’s cataract using a microscope, he explains why this operation is going to be a challenge. Title: Northern Eye. The Hospital Ship In the pouring rain the African Mercy Outreach Team travel in a Land Rover along a muddy track and through a deep puddle to a village an hours drive from Monrovia. Kate Beck from West Yorkshire plays with some of the village children, in her office onboard the African Mercy she explains her role as Capacity Building Team Leader. She explains she is responsible for co-ordinating the training programmes to empower women in the communities to learn a new skill so they can set up a small businesses. As she provides more details she walks with a woman through the village and leads a session in rabbit breeding. Community Health Educator Lois Thompson talks about the training she is running with students in the village about using a mosquito net. Lois walks around the village and speaks with one woman who comes out of her house offering her a net. She goes inside and shows the woman how the net is set up and used, in voice-over Lois explains the importance of her students who will become trainers in the village showing everyone the importance of mosquito nets. Back onboard the African Mercy Lois talks about herself and how and why she became involved with Mercy Ships. Views of the African Mercy docked in Monrovia, onboard a young woman takes her medication. Around her other patients in their beds, many sitting up staring at the camera. In an operating theatre Dr Russ Leavitt is assisted putting on a surgical gown as he prepares to operate on the older woman with cataracts. As the operation begins Dr Leavitt in voiceover provides details of where he is from, his training and skills he has and how long he has been part of Mercy Ships. He goes onto provide details of the cataract operation and why those in places like Liberia are harder to do than those in western countries. In the Children’s Ward Chaplin’s Lois and Phil Astwood from South Yorkshire play with some of the younger children. They talk about how they became involved with Mercy Ships. Back in the operating theatre Dr Leavitt tells his patient that her cataract operation is going better than expected, he provides more information on the workings of the eye which will be improved because of this operation. With the operation completed a patch is placed over the woman’s eye. 24-hours-later the she returns to the African Mercy and her dressings are removed, she is one of 350,000 people whose quality of life will be improved because of the African Mercy this year. On the Women’s VDF Ward patients and staff sing and dance as part of a Dress Ceremony before two of the women go home. Ward Supervisor Bev Sutton provides details of the woman and the condition they are being treated for and why this ceremony is important. A montage of images featured in the programme with many of those featured in the programme providing their final comments on having no regrets in coming and what they have all learned. Title: With special thanks to the crew and patients of the MV AFRICA MERCY Credit: Liberia Camera Georgina Kiedrowski Tyneside Camera and Liberia Location Sound Andy Bennett Graphics Jon King, Dave Richardson Production Manager Christine Stewart Tilling Sound Post Production The Edge Picture Editor Peter Telford Assistant Producer Ben Stanger Executive Producer Graeme Thompson Series Producer Mary Wimpress Producer/Director Wendy Homewood © ITV Tyne Tees 2007 End credit: Production for ITV