USNS Mercy

USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) is a United States Navy hospital ship that belongs to the Navy's Military Sealift Command. It is one of two hospital ships in the U.S. Navy, the other being the USNS Comfort (T-AH-20). The primary mission of USNS Mercy is to provide rapid, flexible, and mobile acute medical and surgical services to support United States military forces deployed ashore and afloat. It also provides support for disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide.

History

USNS Mercy was commissioned in 1986, originally built as an oil tanker, SS Worth, in 1976. It was converted into a hospital ship by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California. The ship was named Mercy to honor the long tradition of mercy ships in the U.S. Navy that dates back to the 19th century.

Capabilities

The ship is equipped with 1,000 hospital beds, 12 fully equipped operating rooms, a radiology suite, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, an optometry lab, a CAT-scan, and two oxygen-producing plants. USNS Mercy is staffed by civilian mariners and a medical staff from the Navy, the Army, and the United States Public Health Service. The ship is capable of providing medical services such as surgeries, critical care, and dental care, making it a fully functional floating hospital.

Operations

USNS Mercy has been deployed in support of various humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations. Notable deployments include Operation Desert Shield, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The ship provides a platform for the U.S. military's humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts, offering medical care, public health, veterinary services, and engineering support to affected populations.

Features

The design of USNS Mercy allows it to operate in areas where local medical facilities are non-existent or have been overwhelmed by the scale of a disaster or conflict. The ship's features include:

- Helicopter deck capable of landing large military helicopters. - Side ports to take on patients at sea. - Water desalination plants, making the ship self-sufficient in producing fresh water. - Climate-controlled environment for the comfort of patients and staff.

Future

The future of USNS Mercy and its sister ship, USNS Comfort, involves continued support for military operations and humanitarian missions. The U.S. Navy has explored options for replacing these ships with newer vessels that have more advanced medical and technological capabilities to meet future challenges.

See Also

• Hospital ship
• Military Sealift Command
• United States Navy
• Humanitarian aid
• Disaster relief