Thousands Queue for Dental Treatment as the Mercy Ship Reaches Guinea

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Thousands of people queued for dental treatment in Guinea as the Mercy Ship pulled into shore.

The Africa Mercy, an enormous hospital ship run by the charity Mercy Ships, will be stationed in Guinea for the next ten months. Despite the rain, hundreds of people turned out to see the ship dock and the crowd had grown significantly by daybreak. In total, more than four thousand people waited in line hoping to secure an appointment card for the first medical screening session.

The ship boasts six operating theatres, state of the art equipment and 78 hospital beds. More than 400 volunteers with a range of skills and areas of expertise are staying on board the ship.

Around half of those in the line were turned away because they had conditions that could not be treated on board the ship. 200 people were chosen from the crowd to have immediate treatment. Another one thousand were advised to come back for tests and evaluation.

Later in the day, a separate dental screening took place and more than 400 people waited patiently in the rain. Dental clinics will be held twice a week for the duration of the ship’s stay in Guinea. The dental team is hoping to treat more than 11,000 during the 10-month stint.

Guinea is one of the least developed countries in the world and the Africa Mercy’s visit will hopefully make a huge difference.

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