Captain Ben Bekkering commanding Officer of Navy ship HNLMS Johan de Witt has disclosed to journalist onboard the ship that they will be donating a total of 150 hospital beds, and a four wheel drive vehicle to the Lungi Hospital.
He added that 35 crew members have also been sent to the Lungi Hospital to do some major repairs and that a mini bus will also be donated to Hope Sierra Leone, including other donations of artificial turf to grow floor tiles and shoe boxes.
Captain Bekkering also said that Lungi Hospital was fortunate to get this donation because when they were designing the program in Holland they had little information of Sierra Leone concerning how and where to help but that it was the Lion Heart Foundation that made the suggestion. “We hope to improve the standard of the hospital before we go” the captain said disclosing further that they also aim to reinforce the Maritime Sector which is why they are in partnership with the African Partnership Station which has about seven countries for this particular trip. These countries include Ghana, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, America, Liberia, Senegal and Belgium.
The sea, he said provides a lot of facilities for the people and if it is properly taken care of “we will be able to get all that it has. So Sierra Leone needs to improve their maritime so that they get what the sea provides.”
Captain Bekkering said that they are not only here to give things but they also aim to interact with their colleagues, to learn and to help them improve and this includes doing exercise and going out together.
Speaking about the African Partnership Station the captain explained that the station has been running for four years but this is the first time that the Dutch ship is involved.
The African Partnership Station he went on is all about equal partnership, mutual learning, and mutual benefit.
About the risk at sea the captain said that there are a lot of risks involve and this includes illegal fishing that is why they are trying to achieve Maritime safety and security which is all about ensuring protection of the sea and coast as global effects require global attention.
Speaking about the ship Captain Ben Bekkring said that the ship is a floating dock which can occupy six helicopters in the hanger, a hospital, a hotel which has 70 beds and can move 600Km a day. Also that it has 150 crew but a total of 320 people are onboard the ship with 15 students from the Martime Wing of the RSLAF.
The Captain disclosed that the ship will dock at the Liberian port in Monrovia, after leaving the shores of Sierra Leone.
By Betty Milton
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