The arrival of the hospital ship USNS Mercy in Majuro on Sunday signaled the start of a wide range of humanitarian and medical programs that are being conducted this week and next week in three locations.
The visit by the Mercy is part of the ongoing United States Pacific Partnership program with the Marshall Islands and is the fifth of its type. In a release from the Partnership team, this mission is “the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Under the program, the visitors will work with Marshallese participants to “provide tailored medical care focusing on surgeries, training for first responders, clinical care, subject-matter exchanges, and community education in Majuro, Ebeye and Aur Atolls.
“Engineering projects will include school renovations at Long Island Elementary and Rita Elementary Schools, while experts in the field will share knowledge exchanges.”
As well, the US Pacific Fleet Band will perform alongside Australian military musicians in a variety of community engagements.
The Mercy has over 1,000 medical personnel, some of whom are civilians and some who are uniformed military members. The team includes personnel from allies and partner nations including Australia, Chile, Japan, Germany and New Zealand.
The release by Grady Fontana states that the ship has 12 fully-equipped operating rooms, 1,000 hospital beds, radiological services, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, optometry facilities, a CT scanner and an oxygen-producing plant.
The plan is for the Pacific Partnership medical providers to also work alongside colleagues at Majuro hospital and the Laura Clinic, “ensuring that information exchange results in sustainable medical practices once USNS Mercy leaves the RMI.”
A bonus of the program is the RMI will partner with the Mercy’s medical team and deploy the Marshall Islands hospital ship, Liwatoon Mour, to deliver health care services to outer islands. This is “a first-time collaboration for the Pacific Partnership mission.”
The Pacific Partnership program was created following the response to the devastation from the December 2004 tsunami that swept through parts of South and Southeast Asia, with the inaugural Pacific Partnership mission being held in 2006.
US Navy Captain Brian Quin, the Mission Commander, is quoted in the release as saying: “Pacific Partnership creates lasting bonds of friendship and trust between the United States, partner nations, and host nations. I am excited to continue the tradition and honored to be a part of such an important mission.”