Jakarta - The third USNS Mercy T-AH-19, the lead ship in her class of the United States Navy`s floating hospitals, is expected to arrive in Ambon, Maluku on July 29 this year.
Named after the virtue of compassion, the US Navy floating hospital will arrive at the scenic easter Indonesian city of Ambon to support the Surya Baskara Jaya health services operation in Maluku province.
"The USNS Mercy will berth at Ambon`s Yos Sudarso pier from July 29 until August 3 to help make the Surya Baskara Jaya health services operation a success," said Maluku Health Office chief Ms Fat Bassalamah in Ambon on Wednesday.
The Mercy was built as an oil tanker named the SS Worth by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Comapany in San Diego, California in 1976. In July 1984 she was renamed and converted into a hospital ship by the same company.
Bassalamah said the presence of the USNS Mercy in Ambon would be the realization of the US Navy`s social concern for the people of Maluku to get free medical services as part of the international marine event of Sail Banda 2010.
"The 273-meter long USNS Mercy T-AH-19 with 956 medical personnel and doctors on board is arguably the most sophisticated vessel in its class to assist the Indonesian Navy`s KRI Dr Soeharso in giving medical services to the people of Maluku," she said.
Launched on July 20, 1985, the USNS Mercy was commissioned on November 8, the following year.
The ship has a raised forecastle, a transom stem, a bulbous bow, an extended deck house with a forward bridge, and a helicopter-landing deck with a flight control facility.
The Mercy class hospital ships are the third largest ships in the US Navy`s fleet by length, surpassed only by the nuclear powered Enterprise and Nimitz-class super-carriers.
Bassalamah said the KRI Dr Soeharso and USNS Mercy would give free medical assistance to people in Maluku, and to be supported by Sailing Medical Service (SMS) in the districts of Buru Selatan, West Southeast Maluku (MTB), and Southwest Maluku (MBD).
"In addition, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore will also send their hospital ships to join the KRI Dr Soeharso and USNS Mercy in the Surya Baskara Jaya health services operation in the province," Bassalamah said.
The health services program will be conducted at seven villages in Ambon, Maluku, from July 29 - August 3, 2010.
Meanwhile, Sail Banda 2010 local committee chairman Cak Saimima said in Ambon recently that the health services operation would be conducted in conjunction with the international marine event in the province.
"A similar program as part of Sail Banda 2010 will also be conducted in Banda Neira, Central Maluku district at the same time," Cak Saimima said.
He said the health services on board the floating hospital would be conducted at Mamala, Morella, Liang, Waai, Tulehu, Passo, and Hutumuri villages on the island of Ambon.
"The Surya Baksara Jaya health services operation will be supported by the biggest floating hospital of the United States Navy, the l USNS Mercy T-AH-19," Saimima said.
The primary mission of USNS Mercy T-AH-19 was to provide rapid, flexible, and mobile acute medical and surgical services to support Marine Corps Air/Ground Task Forces deployed ashore, Army and Air Force units deployed ashore, and naval amphibious task forces and battle forces afloat.
Secondly, she would provide mobile surgical hospital services for use by appropriate US Government agencies in disaster or humanitarian relief or limited humanitarian care to these missions or peacetime military operations.
Like most "USNS" Ships, Mariners from the US Navy`s Military Sealift Command are responsible for navigation, propulsion, and most deck duties on board.
However, the "Medical Treatment Facility", or hospital on the ship, is commanded by a Captain of the Navy`s Medical Corps.
Saimima said that the so-called Sailing Medical Service (SMS) program would also help the people in the districts of Buru Selatan, West Southeast Maluku (MTB), and Southwest Maluku (MBD) from April to August 2010.
"A health simulation program will be conducted in Ambon, Banda Neira, and MBD district town of Wonreli in Kisar island from July 1 to August 10," Saimima said.
He said naval ships from Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia would also be sent to Maluku to support the Surya Baksara Jaya operation in the districts of West Seram, West Southeast Maluku, and Southwest Maluku.
The floating hospital`s operations will be coordinated by the health ministry, assisted by the Maluku health office and so will be the target areas of the Surya Baksara Jaya operation program.
"We welcome the support from the US, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore in the operation because indirectly they also promote Maluku`s tourism potential and the Sail Banda event," Saimima said.
Again, Fat Bassalamah said Maluku province was in need of a floating hospital to provide people in remote areas with adequate health services.
She said the floating hospital was needed to give health services to the people in remote areas which had limited medical facility and personnel.
"Last year the provincial health office tried out the floating hospital system by hiring a ship with Rp100 million and renovated its rooms into laboratory, dispensary, and operation rooms, and the effort was successful enough but needed a big amount of funds," she said.
But she pointed out that the renting of a ship to be turned into a floating hospital was so high that the local health office had asked the Health Ministry to provide Maluku province with a ship to serve as a floating hospital in the province to serve the people in remote and isolated areas.
According to Basalamah, the floating hospital would be equipped with adequate medical facilities, including physicians, surgeons, orthopedists, pediatricians, obstetricians, laboratory, operation room, and dispensary.
The ship, hired by the Maluku health office last year was turned into a floating hospital to give health services to the people at remote villages in Southwest Maluku (MBD) district bordering Timor Leste.
"In reality, people in remote areas highly appreciated the presence of such a floating hospital, and expressed their gratitude for it because it was after 45 years that they got such a health service," Basalamah said.(*)
Source: http://www.antaranews.com
Named after the virtue of compassion, the US Navy floating hospital will arrive at the scenic easter Indonesian city of Ambon to support the Surya Baskara Jaya health services operation in Maluku province.
"The USNS Mercy will berth at Ambon`s Yos Sudarso pier from July 29 until August 3 to help make the Surya Baskara Jaya health services operation a success," said Maluku Health Office chief Ms Fat Bassalamah in Ambon on Wednesday.
The Mercy was built as an oil tanker named the SS Worth by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Comapany in San Diego, California in 1976. In July 1984 she was renamed and converted into a hospital ship by the same company.
Bassalamah said the presence of the USNS Mercy in Ambon would be the realization of the US Navy`s social concern for the people of Maluku to get free medical services as part of the international marine event of Sail Banda 2010.
"The 273-meter long USNS Mercy T-AH-19 with 956 medical personnel and doctors on board is arguably the most sophisticated vessel in its class to assist the Indonesian Navy`s KRI Dr Soeharso in giving medical services to the people of Maluku," she said.
Launched on July 20, 1985, the USNS Mercy was commissioned on November 8, the following year.
The ship has a raised forecastle, a transom stem, a bulbous bow, an extended deck house with a forward bridge, and a helicopter-landing deck with a flight control facility.
The Mercy class hospital ships are the third largest ships in the US Navy`s fleet by length, surpassed only by the nuclear powered Enterprise and Nimitz-class super-carriers.
Bassalamah said the KRI Dr Soeharso and USNS Mercy would give free medical assistance to people in Maluku, and to be supported by Sailing Medical Service (SMS) in the districts of Buru Selatan, West Southeast Maluku (MTB), and Southwest Maluku (MBD).
"In addition, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore will also send their hospital ships to join the KRI Dr Soeharso and USNS Mercy in the Surya Baskara Jaya health services operation in the province," Bassalamah said.
The health services program will be conducted at seven villages in Ambon, Maluku, from July 29 - August 3, 2010.
Meanwhile, Sail Banda 2010 local committee chairman Cak Saimima said in Ambon recently that the health services operation would be conducted in conjunction with the international marine event in the province.
"A similar program as part of Sail Banda 2010 will also be conducted in Banda Neira, Central Maluku district at the same time," Cak Saimima said.
He said the health services on board the floating hospital would be conducted at Mamala, Morella, Liang, Waai, Tulehu, Passo, and Hutumuri villages on the island of Ambon.
"The Surya Baksara Jaya health services operation will be supported by the biggest floating hospital of the United States Navy, the l USNS Mercy T-AH-19," Saimima said.
The primary mission of USNS Mercy T-AH-19 was to provide rapid, flexible, and mobile acute medical and surgical services to support Marine Corps Air/Ground Task Forces deployed ashore, Army and Air Force units deployed ashore, and naval amphibious task forces and battle forces afloat.
Secondly, she would provide mobile surgical hospital services for use by appropriate US Government agencies in disaster or humanitarian relief or limited humanitarian care to these missions or peacetime military operations.
Like most "USNS" Ships, Mariners from the US Navy`s Military Sealift Command are responsible for navigation, propulsion, and most deck duties on board.
However, the "Medical Treatment Facility", or hospital on the ship, is commanded by a Captain of the Navy`s Medical Corps.
Saimima said that the so-called Sailing Medical Service (SMS) program would also help the people in the districts of Buru Selatan, West Southeast Maluku (MTB), and Southwest Maluku (MBD) from April to August 2010.
"A health simulation program will be conducted in Ambon, Banda Neira, and MBD district town of Wonreli in Kisar island from July 1 to August 10," Saimima said.
He said naval ships from Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia would also be sent to Maluku to support the Surya Baksara Jaya operation in the districts of West Seram, West Southeast Maluku, and Southwest Maluku.
The floating hospital`s operations will be coordinated by the health ministry, assisted by the Maluku health office and so will be the target areas of the Surya Baksara Jaya operation program.
"We welcome the support from the US, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore in the operation because indirectly they also promote Maluku`s tourism potential and the Sail Banda event," Saimima said.
Again, Fat Bassalamah said Maluku province was in need of a floating hospital to provide people in remote areas with adequate health services.
She said the floating hospital was needed to give health services to the people in remote areas which had limited medical facility and personnel.
"Last year the provincial health office tried out the floating hospital system by hiring a ship with Rp100 million and renovated its rooms into laboratory, dispensary, and operation rooms, and the effort was successful enough but needed a big amount of funds," she said.
But she pointed out that the renting of a ship to be turned into a floating hospital was so high that the local health office had asked the Health Ministry to provide Maluku province with a ship to serve as a floating hospital in the province to serve the people in remote and isolated areas.
According to Basalamah, the floating hospital would be equipped with adequate medical facilities, including physicians, surgeons, orthopedists, pediatricians, obstetricians, laboratory, operation room, and dispensary.
The ship, hired by the Maluku health office last year was turned into a floating hospital to give health services to the people at remote villages in Southwest Maluku (MBD) district bordering Timor Leste.
"In reality, people in remote areas highly appreciated the presence of such a floating hospital, and expressed their gratitude for it because it was after 45 years that they got such a health service," Basalamah said.(*)
Source: http://www.antaranews.com
