AkzoNobel Coatings Used in Vine Trust Medical Ship

AkzoNobel NV said that its coatings are used in a medical ship operated by Vine Trust, to help people living in remote and isolated communities have access to primary healthcare.

Vine Trust's new vessel, named MV Forth Hope, is expected to deliver more than two million medical consultations over the next 20 years to isolated communities on the Peruvian Amazon. Outfitted with dental facilities, an operating theatre, consultation rooms and a pharmacy, the ship will enable international medical and dental volunteers, alongside a team of local clinicians, to transform the lives of some of the world's most vulnerable people.

Forth Hope was transformed into a medical ship with the support of various medical and marine organizations, including AkzoNobel. Assembled in Scotland, the ship recently began a 6600-mile transatlantic voyage to Peru. Thanks to AkzoNobel's high-performance coatings, the ship will use less fuel and produce fewer emissions as it travels.

"Vine Trust has always sought to make a significant and lasting impact on the people we support. The delivery of MV Forth Hope to the Amazon will double the current capacity of our Peru medical program, enabling the provision of 200,000 consultations per year, and deliver invaluable medical services to remote riverine villages which might otherwise go unserved,” said Willie McPherson, CEO of Vine Trust.

"We are proud to partner with Vine Trust to advance the efforts to transform the lives of those most in need. This initiative is a great example of how corporates, NGOs and volunteers can make a bigger impact by working together," added Oscar Wezenbeek, managing director for AkzoNobel's marine coatings business.