'It's quite a refreshing change to work on a hospital ship'

There’s limited internet when the ship is at sea but Lizzie Chitty appreciates the time onboard to get to know other volunteers she’ll be working with once docked: “Ahead of setting up for months of surgery we try and bond as a team before we arrive. It’s quite nice to play games and get to know each other during that time.”

Chitty, 32, from Littlehampton in Sussex qualified as a nurse in 2010 and has worked in Nottingham, London and Chichester. She has been volunteering with the charity Mercy Ships for the past five years serving on the Africa Mercy - the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship. “I’ve worked in some of the world’s poorest nations in West Africa and it’s amazing to see what can be achieved even in a short space of time.”

Docked for ten months at a time, the Africa Mercy brings essential medical care and training to those who need it most. “I had the opportunity to help set up a women’s health clinic in Madagascar that helped restore women who have had childbirth injuries through surgery but also training in life skills,” she says. “Seeing the local nurses I helped to train take the lead in this clinic and hearing the stories of women restored is a great reward for months away from home.

“We’ve also had nurses learn skills to do with their specialties, such as midwives learning how to resuscitate babies. Ward nurses sometimes come and work with us on the ship and see what we do and we mentor them during their time with us.”

Many volunteers who are only able to stay for a week or two fly in and out of the country where the ship is heading. Others like Chitty meet the Africa Mercy in the Canary Islands where it is dry docked during the summer for repairs: “The shortest time I’ve worked on the ship has been two months but I will be staying for ten months this year. I work as much as I can to save money as volunteers have to fund their own service during each trip.

“It’s hard work but it’s quite refreshing to work on a hospital ship. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m often looking for opportunities to volunteer and give back. It’s nice to see people have training and care that they wouldn’t otherwise get.”

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