Africa mercy, the floating hospital which arrived Cameroon on Wednesday is set to begin work on Monday August 21. The team of doctors aboard said they are ready to receive Cameroonians with complex health conditions.

The floating hospital from the international Non-Governmental organisation, Mercy Ships, will provide free medical assistance to Cameroonians for the next ten months. They were officially received by Andre Mama Fouda, Public Health Minister in Douala.

During the ship’s ten months stay in the country, its four hundred medical personnels are expected to perform close to 4,000 free surgeries and work towards improving the healthcare-providing capacity of the country through training and mentoring.

According to the World Health Organization, 48% of Cameroon’s population still live below the poverty line and the country’s healthcare system is still wanting.

The team will conduct surgical procedures which span from correcting maxillofacial deformities, reconstructive plastic surgery, corrections to vision impairments, obstetric fistula, orthopaedic surgery and dental treatments. Other work will include palliative care and training courses in surgical skills, obstetric and paediatric anaesthesia, trauma care, pain management and more