JP/5/ACROSS

JP/5/ACROSS

USNS Mercy winds
up operations

JAKARTA: The U.S. Navy Hospital ship USNS Mercy will depart Nias
waters on Saturday, concluding 25 days of humanitarian assistance
to victims of the earthquake on the island, according to a
release by the U.S. Embassy made available to the media on
Friday.

Upon arrival off the coast of Nias on April 5, the hospital
ship has provided assistance to international relief
organizations and host nation medical teams ashore.

As the only level three trauma hospital in the vicinity of
Nias, Mercy evacuated 94 of the most seriously injured and ill
patients via helicopter to the ship, where Mercy's doctors and
medical personnel performed 123 surgical and 19,311 medical
procedures. Ashore, Mercy's medical teams performed 2,149 dental
procedures and distributed 2,577 pairs of glasses to the people
of Nias, who suffered a monster earthquake that rocked the island
on March 28. -- JP