Carestream Dental donates equipment to nonprofit NGO
The company supplied intraoral scanners to the nonprofit organization, Mercy Ships.
Carestream Dental has donated intraoral sensors to Mercy Ships’ newest addition, Global Mercy. Mercy Ships is a faith-based global organization that provides surgical care to those in need.
Carestream donated 6 RVG 6200 intraoral scanners, including software and support to the organization’s mission. The Global Mercy is scheduled to launch in 2021 and will be the world’s largest NGO hospital ship.
“The Global Mercy will be a true modern marvel—a fully custom-built hospital ship with customized instruments, state-of-the-art technology, and highly-trained talent of a modern hospital,” Rosa Whitaker, president of Mercy Ships, said. “It also represents a unique call-to-action for anyone called to serve, and it presents the opportunity for people to use their skillset to positively impact global healthcare.”
The RVG 6200s will support Mercy Ships’ onshore dental clinic. The sensors come with a number of user-defined image processing tools, allowing volunteers to customize images according to their specifications for enhanced diagnosis and ease of use.
“‘Changing Lives’ is a major pillar of Carestream Dental’s mission,” Ed Shellard, DMD, chief dental officer, Carestream Dental, said. “We’ve certainly seen how good oral health can lead to better overall health; so we know that these RVG 6200s aren’t just being used to quickly identify and treat dental caries, they’re changing lives as well.”
About 600 dental and medical healthcare volunteers will staff the Global Mercy once launched. The ship will provide a safe and clean surgical environment to various African nations. Its state-of-the-art facilities will include educational spaces so local doctors can be trained on best practices and the latest techniques. The ship is expected to see 150,000 patients over the course of its anticipated 50-year lifespan.
Carestream Dental made a similar contribution to Mercy Ships in 2017, when the company donated RVG 6200s for use on the Africa Mercy, the organization’s first hospital ship, on its mission to Cameroon.
Founded in 1978, Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free healthcare services, capacity building, and sustainable development to those with little access in the developing world. Mercy Ships has worked in more than 55 developing countries, providing services valued at more than $1.7 billion directly impacting 2.8 million people. For more information, visit mercyships.org or carestreamdental.com.
