Free health care for Africa.

New Zealand nurses, particularly operating theatre and scrub nurses, are urgently needed to serve on the Africa Mercy for its assignment to Benin in West Africa this year.

Africa Mercy is part of the Mercy Ships International Christian charity and the world's largest non-government hospital ship. It is making its fourth visit in 12 years to the French-speaking nation. The Africa Mercy will remain in Benin until November, working with the Ministry of Health and Benin government on health care and community development programmes.

According to director of Mercy Ships New Zealand, Graeme Walls, each year more and more New Zealanders are serving in West Africa where the ship concentrates efforts to bring hope and heating to the most impoverished. Four New Zealanders are serving on the ship at the moment, with another eight joining them by the end of May, seven of them nurses. Operating theatres" manager Alison Brieseman from Wellington has been with the ship since 2004.

The 450 volunteers from 34 different nations must find their own way to Benin and pay room and board fees while on board to help defray the ship's running costs. This enables all health care to be provided free.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Mercy Ships has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978. Its current ship is a former roll-on, roll-off ferry from Denmark, with its entire bottom deck converted into a 78-bed hospital, including six operating theatres, intensive care unit, x-ray and blood departments, and state-of-the art equipment

Over the last 35 years, Mercy Ships volunteers have performed more than 35,000 life-changing surgeries such as cleft lip and palate, cataract removal, straightening of crossed eyes, orthopaedic and facial reconstruction, release of burn contractures and repairs of obstetric fistula.

This year, up to 3000 cataract surgeries will be provided, and up to 20,000 dental care procedures and a similar number of eye disease treatments will be offered at community clinics.

For more information, see www.mercyships.org.nz, email [e-mail], or phone [phone].