USNS Mercy. AFP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The US Naval Ship Mercy, the United States Navy’s premier hospital ship, will dock in Subic next week to participate in a humanitarian mission in the Pacific, according to the US Embassy in Manila.
In a statement Friday, the Embassy said the USNS Mercy is scheduled to dock at the Alava Wharf in Subic on Monday at 3 p.m.
“The USNS Mercy [will be] in the Philippines for Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12), an annual US Pacific Fleet humanitarian and civic assistance mission,” the embassy said.
Now on its seventh year, Pacific Partnership brings together US military personnel, host and partner nations, non-government organizations and international agencies to build stronger relationships and develop disaster response capabilities throughout the Asia-Pacific region, it added.
The USNS Mercy, which bears the Red Cross symbol, will provide medical, veterinary and dental services to hundreds of Filipino residents. It is also expected to work together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“USNS Mercy is capable of rapid and mobile acute medical and surgical procedures with a total of 1,000 beds and can accommodate 200 patients per day. It is highly equipped in giving medical and surgical specialties along with basic medical services like immunizations, primary care, pediatrics, optometry, dental care, nutrition counselling, infectious disease treatment, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and dermatology, among others,” the AFP said in a statement earlier.
The PP12, the largest joint humanitarian mission in the Pacific, stemmed from humanitarian initiatives following the tsunami that hit Indonesia in 2004 which killed more than 200,000 people.
It is joined by partner nations including Thailand, Australia, Malaysia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Korea, Chile, Peru, and Netherlands.