South Yorkshire Doctor Joins African Dental and Medical Mission
An anaesthetist from South Yorkshire has joined a mission of mercy in Africa to help thousands of people living in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Alan Kershaw, an anaesthetist at Barnsley NHS Foundation Trust, has boarded the Africa Mercy, the largest hospital ship in the world, to provide dental and medical care to the people of Togo. This is the second time Alan has volunteered and this time he has been joined by his son, Jack.
More than 450 volunteers from 45 different countries volunteer through Mercy Ships. Alan said that he was eager to support the Mercy Ships mission because they genuinely make a difference to people and are committed to humanitarian aid.
During his time on the ship, Alan will be part of a team carrying out a range of different procedures, from dental care and orthopaedics to cleft lip and palate surgery and tumour removal.
Mercy Ships was established in 1978 and has since visited more than 70 countries to provide much-needed aid. The organisation has donated more than £600 million in care and treated more than 2 million people.
Alan said that the ships target areas in severe need of care and help people who would otherwise never get the help they need. He said he wanted his son, Jack to experience the trip as it had such a profound effect on him last time. Jack said that he wanted to volunteer after his father returned from the last mission with so many incredible stories.
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