Hospital Ships and Floating Hospitals

Hospital ships are vessels fitted out to treat the sick and wounded; floating hospitals extend the idea to civilian medical and dental care delivered shipboard. Under the Geneva Conventions (Second Geneva Convention 1949, Articles 22 to 35), military hospital ships must be notified, painted white with red crosses, and may not be attacked. Civilian charity examples include Mercy Ships, whose vessels deliver free surgery in West African ports; navies operate dedicated ships such as USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort.