MV Pacific Link has brought hope and medical assistance to thousands of Papua New Guineans but MV Pacific Link will soon see retirement.
The final voyage by the vessel was a pilot program to Milne Bay Province where 72 people received sigh-restoring eye surgery.
The vessel has delivered over two thousand health training and capacity-building outputs since 2010.
The replacement vessel, MV Ammari is currently the focus of a major fundraising campaign with approximately 10.7 million kina still to be raise.
YWAM Medical Ships Managing Director, Ken Mulligan said work on MV Pacific Link is outstripped the capacity of the vessel and the new vessel, MV Ammari will allow for a 500 per cent increase in program activities to more communities in remote areas.
The deposit of PGK 4 million of church–state partnership funds on the new medical ship was given by Department of National Planning and Monitoring in 2013 and discussions are still ongoing regarding a range of other funding opportunities to see the remaining funds secured.
