150,000 lives set to be changed by Mercy Ships’ floating hospital
As globally renowned experts in healthcare engineering and construction, MIG’s specialist team have worked on a wide range of different projects. The team’s versatility and technical knowledge often means that they are the first port of call when a brief arises for a truly unique project.
Working closely with Marine Operations Fleet Manager, Devin Ilae, MIG was commissioned to design, install, test, and commission a new medical gas pipeline on Mercy Ships’ newest floating hospital: the Global Mercy.
The Global Mercy is the world’s largest purpose-built hospital ship and, over her 50-year lifespan, she is expected to help more than 150,000 individuals in need of life-altering surgery and countless others in need of less invasive medical attention.
At an impressive 174 metres long, the 37,000-ton ship boasts six fully-equipped operating rooms, a CT scanner, ICUs, laboratories, wards, and training facilities. It houses more than 600 volunteers, including surgeons, doctors, maritime crew, chefs, teachers, and more.
The MIG team was asked to remove a non-compliant medical gas pipeline system and replace it with a state-of-the-art updated system that complied to HTM 02-01 standards.
The build required six kilometres of pipework; 23 area valve and service units; patient bed head trunking for 137 patient beds; 563 medical gas terminal units; 834 electrical fittings; and 260 light switches.
This would have been a large-scale project even for a regular land-based hospital. The Global Mercy hospital, however, needed to be fit to sail. This meant that not only did the installation have to be installed to HTM 02-01 standards, it also had to comply with Lloyds Marine standards as well.
While the ship was docked in Port Granadilla, Tenerife, our expert team worked tirelessly over a five-month period to design and install a bespoke gas pipeline that would supply the Global Mercy’s wards, ICU rooms, operating theatres, and CT scanning facilities.
MIG also provided all of the required medical gases. The final result was a reliable and efficient system, built in adherence to all relevant regulations. The pipeline was rigorously tested and commissioned, and Mercy Ships were incredibly happy with the build.
Project Consultant Kim Lovick – an expert in healthcare planning – recommended MIG Medical for this particular assignment. He said: “When Mercy Ships approached me to discuss their ambitious build, I didn’t hesitate to recommend MIG. MIG’s attention to detail is second to none, and the team’s ability to overcome challenges when working with complex briefs is unparalleled.
He continued “The Global Mercy will change lives, and such an important vessel requires top-quality systems to allow its volunteers to deliver crucial, life changing assistance. MIG have gone above and beyond to ensure that these systems are in place”.
