March 4, 2025, Fort Lauderdale, FL – VIKAND, a global leader in maritime healthcare solutions, is pleased to announce its support for Mercy Ships, a renowned international non-governmental organisation operating hospital ships that provide free, lifesaving surgeries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
VIKAND’s expertise will enhance the Mercy Ships volunteer crew onboarding process by delivering its Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME) review services and assisting with vaccination requirements, reducing risk and enhancing regulatory compliance.
By engaging VIKAND, Mercy Ships will streamline its application process, allowing internal resources to be allocated elsewhere to support its life-changing work, while also enhancing healthcare operations and strengthening data security.
Mercy Ships relies on a dedicated volunteer workforce representing over 60 nationalities to staff its hospital ships, the Africa Mercy ® and the Global Mercy™. Some volunteer for a few weeks at a time and others for months or even years meaning that over 200 crew members can be rotating through these vessels each month. Ensuring their medical fitness is a vital step in enabling the organisation’s mission to deliver free health care to some of the poorest countries in the world.
VIKAND has previously supported Mercy Ships by providing its industry-leading medical Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to assist with their onboard crew clinics, which provides care to the volunteer crew. This marks the beginning of a further collaboration, expanding VIKAND’s role in supporting Mercy Ships.
“Having served with Mercy Ships for over 21 years both at sea and ashore, I am excited to have our teams at VIKAND supporting their volunteer crew onboarding process with PEME review solutions,” commented Russ Holmes, Vice President of Key PartnerSHIPS at VIKAND. “This support will allow Mercy Ships to reduce risk, provide a seamless application process for their volunteer crew, and allow them to allocate resources elsewhere that otherwise managed this process previously.”
Mercy Ships has long been respected in the maritime industry, serving as the charity of choice for CLIA, Seatrade, MSC, and the MSC Foundation. This collaboration underscores the commitment of Mercy Ships to optimising its volunteer experience while upholding the highest medical and operational standards.
Mercy Ships Organizational Project Manager Chantal Ilae added: “We are delighted to have the support of VIKAND in strengthening our medical review and vaccination verification process. Their expertise will not only ensure a smoother experience for volunteer crew members but also reinforce our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of medical care, data security, and compliance. This collaboration allows us to focus more of our resources on delivering free healthcare to those who are in desperate need.”
ABOUT VIKAND
VIKAND provides proactive total healthcare solutions for the shipping, cruise, yachting and offshore industries. Crew members and guests alike trust VIKAND to provide expert medical care, telemedicine, risk mitigation, and other valuable health services, and the world’s leading maritime companies rely on us to protect their most important asset at sea – people.
As a truly integrated partner, VIKAND brings 24/7 hands-on support and best-in-class solutions to each corner of the globe. Our caring and committed teams manage more than 100,000 medical encounters per year across 330 vessels, and support the physical and mental wellness of hundreds of thousands of passengers and crew.
www.vikand.com
About MERCY SHIPS
Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and other healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with African nations for the past three decades. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships also provides training to local healthcare professionals and supports the construction of in-country medical infrastructure to leave a lasting impact.
Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer professionals from over 60 countries serve on board the world’s two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy® and the Global Mercy™. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to accelerate access to safe surgical and anesthetic care. Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has offices in 16 countries as well as an Africa Service Center in Dakar, Senegal.
