ANTANANARIVO, Mar. 12 (AGCNewsNet) - Medical charity Mercy Ships has launched an ambitious mission to provide free surgeries to more than 1,700 patients in Madagascar between March and December 2025, in partnership with the Malagasy government.

The initiative began on Monday with a transformative procedure for 16-year-old Rosalinda, the first patient to undergo surgery aboard the Africa Mercy hospital ship this year. The teenager, from Mananara in northern Madagascar, had a growing tumour on her neck removed in a three-hour operation led by American head and neck surgeon Mark Shrime.

“These tumours, if they’re left alone, will grow and grow. They could start to become threatening to her airway or her ability to eat,” Shrime said, adding that the surgery was completed without complications.

Doctors warned that if untreated, the mass could have become cancerous or obstructed her airway.

Mercy Ships, an international NGO, operates hospital ships staffed by volunteer medical professionals who provide free surgical care in underserved communities. Its Madagascar programme will also include 1,480 dental procedures and extensive training for local healthcare professionals.

The initiative is supported by Madagascar’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Finance, with patients selected from 12 locations across the country.

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