Peruvian Amazon's floating hospital – in pictures

For the past 16 years, the Chosen Vessel has been relying on donations to provide free healthcare to poor communities living along the Amazon river in northern Peru Photograph: Mattia Cabitza

Boats are the only means of transport on the Amazon and its tributaries. Nearby Iquitos, with more than half a million people, is the world's largest city that cannot be reached by road Photograph: Mattia Cabitza

Large vessels provide cheap transport for passengers and goods, but the service is slow, infrequent and subject to delays, which could prove fatal for those in urgent need of medical attention Photograph: Mattia Cabitza

In the case of a medical emergency, isolated river communities have to rely on small, motorised boats to reach a nearby clinic or a hospital in Iquitos. The whole village might have to chip in to pay for the boatman and petrol Photograph: Mattia Cabitza

The Chosen Vessel has treated more than 200,000 people since it began sailing on the Amazon river. It has also built wells to provide clean drinking water to hundreds of villages, reducing the risk of water-borne diseases Photograph: Mattia Cabitza

The on-board nurse, Charles, has been with the Chosen Vessel for 12 years. 'The most common illnesses we treat are diarrheic and respiratory, as well as parasites, and to a lesser extent malaria and dengue,' he says. 'There’s great need in these villages, but the government doesn't come here because they often lack enough staff and resources' Photograph: Mattia Cabitza

Villagers with bad eyesight are given free reading glasses, a particular relief for older people who still have to work. Residents here farm small plots of land, but still heavily rely on the bounty of the rivers and the surrounding forest for food Photograph: Mattia Cabitza

Tony, the on-board doctor, may treat dozens of patients at each visit, and he also teaches villagers how to avoid many preventable diseases through better hygiene and sanitation. 'We try to help how we can,' he says. 'Sometimes these people also need a friend to listen to their problems, and not just to hand out medicines' Photograph: Mattia Cabitza

The Chosen Vessel also provides free dental care. However, complex surgeries, such as root canal, are not possible to perform during a short visit by the boat’s medical team. This means that extraction is often the only solution when teeth are infected or rotten Photograph: Mattia Cabitza

Adrian, the on-board dentist, gives an anaesthetic to a young boy who needs a tooth pulled out. He would like to have his own clinic one day. 'That's the idea behind being a healthcare worker – to help people,' he says. 'It's nice when people thank me. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had' Photograph: Mattia Cabitza

Mike Dempsey in his on-board clinic. He left the US to run the hospital boat in Iquitos. 'I made money, I had cars, I had homes, I had businesses,' he says, 'but the real satisfaction in life to me is helping people who can't help themselves' Photograph: Mattia Cabitza

'The living conditions of Peruvian people along the rivers … They're not on a good camping trip! They just exist,' says Dempsey. 'The government does a lot, but there's always more to do. And we just hope that more people will do the same thing that we do' Photograph: Mattia Cabitza