Comparing a hospital ship with a land hospital depends on the standard used for the land facility. Comfort and Mercy are described as carrying substantial medical facilities, including imaging, operating theatres, and large wards. Falling short of the highest category of land hospital therefore does not make them only slightly better than a field hospital. A tanker conversion can still produce a capable medical ship even when a passenger liner is preferred as the starting hull.
Notable Point · 3:04:17-3:05:25
Why Comfort and Mercy exceed an ordinary field hospital
The land-hospital benchmark matters when judging how capable a converted hospital ship is.