Ulverston firm supports world's largest hospital ship | The Mail

An Ulverston company has ensured the electrical systems are in order aboard the world's largest hospital ship.

Bender UK recently completed a complimentary service and health check on the medical IT power systems of the Global Mercy.

This service is vital for the ship to continue delivering medical care to some of the poorest countries in Africa.

The Global Mercy had recently docked in Tenerife for maintenance before resuming its humanitarian mission.

Gareth Brunton, managing director at Bender UK, said: "We are proud to support the humanitarian mission of Global Mercy with our innovative medical IT power technology, which safeguards the staff and patients on board from electrical hazards.

"Our commitment includes carrying out essential electrical system maintenance free of charge and offering our expertise to Mercy Ships to ensure these and future vessels can efficiently deliver vital services worldwide.

"On this occasion, we were delighted to be of assistance once again to help safeguard operations."

Bender's service included Andrew Cartwright, the company's service and commissioning engineer, travelling to Tenerife to undertake the servicing and testing of the medical IT and isolated power systems.

He verified all systems and reported no faults in the electrical installation previously designed and installed by the company's experts.

The Global Mercy is the first purpose-built floating hospital and the largest charity-run hospital ship in the world.

The 570-ft, 37,000-ton vessel has six operating rooms and houses more than 600 volunteers from around the globe, including surgeons, medical specialists, maritime crew, and various support personnel.

The ship's robust electrical grid is essential for its mission and autonomous operation.

Bender, a world leader in medical IT systems for clinical areas, enhanced the electrical infrastructure on board the Global Mercy during a previous maintenance docking two years ago.

The company supplied linked medical IT systems on decks four and five of the ship to provide resilient systems for 'Group 2' critical areas, including the operating rooms.

These medical IT systems eliminate operational hazards, ensuring a single earth fault will not cause a trip or interrupt the electrical supply, which is crucial during surgeries and for life support systems.

A spokesperson for Mercy Ships, the organisation behind the Global Mercy, said: "(We are) addressing a critical need.

"Conditions requiring surgical treatment are responsible for more deaths in low-income countries than HIV/Aids, TB, and malaria combined. Globally, five billion people have no access to safe, affordable surgery."

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