Screening day

Cotonou, Benin, Thursday 19th & Friday 20th February: Approximately 3000 people (some of whom had arrived the day before) stood for hours outside the city's Hall des Arts stadium in the hope of being selected for free specialist surgery onboard the Africa Mercy. More than 600 eye patients were referred on to field eye clinic sites at other locations, as were dental patients. The ship's crew began arriving on the site as early as 4am to begin supervising the queues. Sally arrived at 9am, and worked until 5pm escorting patients from one part of the process to another. She said it was an incredible day, and full of emotions as some people with operable conditions were accepted for surgery, and others with inoperable conditions weren't. Prayer held the day together; it gave strength to the crew in the thick of it, and was offered to the people who we were unable to help. I think around 1300 patients have been selected for surgery. Olly