{
  "id": 19663283,
  "title": "Health Ministry warns public against fraudulent Mercy Ships fundraising campaign",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/health-ministry-warns-public-against-fraudulent-mercy-ships",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-12T14:51:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/health-ministry-warns-public-against-fraudulent-mercy-ships-fundraising-campaign/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Ghana Health Ministry has issued a cautionary statement against a fraudulent fundraising campaign for Mercy Ships, a non-profit organization that provides free surgical care and medical education across Africa. The Ministry issued a press release on November 10, 2026, warning the public about a campaign led by an organization called the \"HELP Save LIFE Foundation,\" which falsely solicits money through an MTN Mobile Money account. The Ministry clarified that this fundraising campaign has no affiliation with, authorization from, or endorsement by Mercy Ships. Mercy Ships currently operates the hospital vessel, The Global Mercy, docked at the Tema Port, where it is set to provide free surgeries to over 2,500 Ghanaians over a 10-month period ending in June 2027. The Ministry emphasized that patients are pre-screened and scheduled for treatment based on medical and eligibility criteria, and the vessel is currently operating at full capacity, not accepting additional patients. The Ministry cautioned against making payments or sharing personal or financial information with third parties, as all Mercy Ships' services are free. It urged the public to report any suspected fraudulent activity to the Cyber Security Authority or local law enforcement, urging reliance only on official communication channels for information on Mercy Ships services and patient access.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}