USNS Mercy completes mission in RP

MANILA, Philippines - The California-based hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH19) left the Philippines Tuesday en route to Vietnam, following a 20-day humanitarian and civic assistance mission in the country, the US Embassy in Manila announced. The medical teams aboard the Mercy treated 961 patients on board and 25,422 in the Cotabato and Samar areas. At least 4,367 animals also received free veterinary care. Engineering teams completed renovations of two health clinics in Mindanao, and teams in Samar constructed a new health center and renovated a hospital, a pharmacy, a municipal health office, and a wastewater treatment system. In Manila, the ship’s crew assisted in the building of homes for Baseco Compound residents in cooperation with non-governmental organization Gawad Kalinga. The Pacific Fleet Band on board the USNS Mercy also gave a free concert at SM Manila. The Mercy’s 2008 mission was made possible through the support of the Philippine government, local governments in Mindanao and Samar, partnerships with local medical care professionals, and by the support of non-governmental organizations including the 3P Foundation, Operation Smile, Cranial-Facial Foundation, Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society, Bangsamoro Women of Solidarity Forum, Institute of Bangsamoro Studies, SHIELD, Calbayog Rotary Club, CARHAN, Association of Filipino Doctors in America, WESADEF, Culion Foundation Inc., Barangay Health Workers Federation, the Calbayog Commission on Health Care, and the Samar Medical Society. - GMANews.TV