The Esperanza del Mar can be located in areas where there are high-concentrations of Spanish fleets, she offers on-site health care to any ship that requests it within their area of coverage, as well as providing radio consultation, outpatient care and even on-board hospitalization, when this is prescribed to patients. She can also evacuate the patient to dry land using the fastest and most suitable method possible, if the case is serious enough to require this.
When carrying out her activity, she works together closely with the Radio Medical Centre of the Social Marine Institute and with the National Sea Rescue Coordination Centre of the State Sea Rescue Association, responsible for organising the evacuation of crew members from high seas using the most suitable method available, in the cases when evacuation to a port is urgently required.
In addition to their health care work, she also provide emergency logistical support such as the unhooking of nets, diving services, electrical repairs, etc., to the Spanish boats that require it, as well as the rescue of shipwrecked persons.
She has been specially designed as support vessels to provide health care and logistical support to Spanish fishing boats in any fishing ground, in every sea and ocean in the world, and under extreme weather conditions.
She boast the best state-of-the-art medical and technical equipment, the only ship in the world along with her sister ship Juan de la Cosa that has these features and what's more, they are owned by the Social Security Administration.
The design of both boats was based on having a hospital occupying an entire deck from the bow, with direct access to the heliport and the deck to facilitate the transportation of patients and shipwrecked persons to the hospital area.
The hospital area contains the following services:
- Operating theatre.
- Laboratory.
- Intensive Care Unit.
- Dressing room.
- Radiology room.
- Isolation ward (for the treatment of burns, infectious diseases and psychiatric conditions).
- The ship also has a special area for shipwrecked persons, cabins, communal areas and service areas.
Operating theatre
The initial capacity of the “Esperanza del MAR” is 17 patients in the hospital area and 30 in the area for shipwrecked persons. Both of these areas are separate from the rest of the ship's rooms. The “Juan de la Cosa” has capacity for 10 patients on the hospital deck, as well as 12 beds to increase the hospital capacity or for other uses.
Safety is the key concern at all times, as demonstrated by the spaciousness of the cabins, the arrangement of beds and cabin compartment systems, as well as the various floating and lifeboat recovery devices. This is crucial for providing urgent medical attention to other ships and for bringing patients on board the hospital ship.
The medical and logistical services provided from these ships are as follows:
- Health care services:
- Radio-assisted medical consultations.
- Videoconference medical consultations
- Outpatient consultations on board the hospital ship.
- Transfer of the mobile medical team to ships that request assistance. Hospitalisations in the on-board clinic.
- Minor surgery.
- Evacuations using helicopters, other vessels, or the hospital ship itself.
- Scuba-diving tasks.
- Mechanical assistance.
- Electrical assistance.
- Electronic assistance.
- Tugging.
- Water supply.
- Emergency fuel supply.
- Collaboration with Navy ships in the area.
Propulsion and Maneuvering
Izar Manises participated actively in the construction of the hospital ship Esperanza del Mar. The company also supplied a deck crane, and the complete propulsion pack. The ship is arranged with two separate shaftlines for total engine redundancy, to ensure rescue operations at all times.
Each propulsion line consists of a Mak Model 9M25 four-stroke propulsion engine with a power output of 2,700 kW at 750 rpm in compliance with IMO NOx emission requirements. Each engine is coupled through a Vulkan resilient coupling to a Reintjes WAF 4545 reduction gear of a reduction ratio of 3.42. Shafting 18.5 m in length and four fixed pitch propellers by Baliño of a nominal speed of 219 rpm. The system is fitted with braking elements and the shafting has a clutch that confers the system broad operating flexibility. The electric power plant installed aboard the Esperanza del Mar, supplied by Pasch, is composed of three gensets and one emergency set, all designed and manufactured by Demp. Three MAN D 2842 LE301, 12 cylinder in V auxiliary engines and one 500 kWe Stamford electric power alternator. These sets are cooled by means of a water/water heat exchanger with a centralised on-board water circuit. An emergency genset with a MAN D 2842 LE201, 12 cylinders in V and a 500 kWe Stamford electric power alternator, cooled by means of an air/water radiator. Special care has been given to control noise emissions and vibrations, given the mission of this ship.
