Coronavirus Response in Pictures: 'USNS Mercy' in Los Angeles

The hospital ship was deployed on the West Coast to treat non-COVID-19 patients

by Aaron Kassraie, AARP, April 8, 2020

closeup of hospital ship with the identifier name mercy showing on its side

Gregory Bull/AP Photo

The USNS Mercy hospital ship sits at dock before its departure in San Diego, California.

En español | Since it was converted from a San Clemente–class supertanker into an acute surgical medical facility in 1986, the USNS Mercy, part of the Navy's Military Sealift Command, has provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief around the world. More than 550,000 people have received care provided by it and its sister ship, USNS Comfort, since 2001. Today it is providing relief to Los Angeles hospitals strained by the number of patients infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

''I couldn't be more proud of our crew for all the hard work they did to get us here and ready in such a short time,'’ said Navy Capt. John Rotruck, commanding officer of the USNS Mercy. ‘'Being able to accept our first patients is a true testament of the teamwork between Mercy, the Navy, the state of California, the county of Los Angeles, and the city and Port of L.A.''

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Photos

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PHOTO BY: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy

On a mission to assist Los Angeles hospitals responding to the coronavirus outbreak, the ship departed from San Diego Bay on March 23, on its way up the West Coast. When it is not deployed, the USNS Mercy is maintained in a state of reduced operating status by a small crew of civil service mariners and active-duty Navy medical and support personnel.
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PHOTO BY: Sarah Burford/US Navy//AP Images

In support of the country's COVID-19 response, crews prepare for the humanitarian mission by stocking the ship with supplies at its base in San Diego.
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PHOTO BY: Kirby Lee/AP Photo

USNS Mercy sits at the Port of Los Angeles. Because the ship's personnel are not treating coronavirus patients, those seeking medical care will have to undergo screening before being allowed to board.
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PHOTO BY: US Navy Photo/ Alamy

U.S. Navy sailors transport a patient aboard the floating hospital. Mayor Eric Garcetti said USNS Mercy is now the largest hospital in Los Angeles. It contains 12 operating rooms, a 1,000-bed hospital facility — including 80 intensive care beds, four X-ray machines, a CAT scan unit, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, an optometry lab, a blood bank and two oxygen-producing plants. Patients are not charged for treatment.
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PHOTO BY: BINSAR BAKKARA/AP Photo

In 2005 the ship's personnel assisted in the tsunami relief operations off the western coast of Indonesia, treating over 10,000 patients. The medical team also provided dental work and distributed nearly 5,000 pairs of eyeglasses.
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PHOTO BY: UPI/Alamy

Navy medical professionals and volunteers prepare an Indonesian patient for a CAT scan aboard the hospital ship.
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PHOTO BY: American Photo Archive/Alamy

The 894-foot-long hospital ship is equipped with a helicopter deck capable of landing large military helicopters. The ship also has side ports to take on patients at sea.