Dr. Brian Barki, an anesthesiologist from Tulsa, helped lead the 100,000th free surgical procedure for the global charity, Mercy Ships.
Dr. Barki and a team of medical professional volunteers helped transform the life of a 7-month-old patient in Guinea by performing cleft lip surgery while onboard the world’s largest nonprofit hospital ship.
Aissata, a 7-month-old child, traveled with her mother nearly 200 miles to receive the surgery on the hospital ship the Africa Mercy, which has provided free surgeries to more than 2,100 people in Guinea since arriving in August.
Mercy Ships is headquartered in Texas with nearly 400 international volunteers serving on the hospital ship.
“Our surgical program changes the entire course of our patients’ lives,” said Donovan Palmer, CEO of Mercy Ships. “And by forming partnerships with African nations, together we are building a powerful legacy of hope and healing that’s contributing to the overall development of West and Central Africa.”