Samaritan's Purse Ramps Up Medical Response; Emergency Field Hospital Deploys to Southern Haiti

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Aug 17, 2021, 16:17 ET

BOONE, N.C., Aug. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, at the request of the Haitian government's Ministry of Health, Samaritan's Purse deployed an Emergency Field Hospital to southern Haiti. The international Christian relief organization sent the trauma hospital—complete with a laboratory, pharmacy, and an operating theatre.

The 36-bed unit departed from Greensboro, North Carolina, at 6:00am this morning on the organization's DC-8 cargo plane. It landed in Port-au-Prince at 9:00am.

Once in operation, the field hospital will bring critical relief to orthopedic and trauma patients following the deadly 7.2-magnitude earthquake. The three-ward field hospital will also include an emergency room and outpatient services with anesthesia and oxygen capabilities.

A team of 11 disaster response specialists deployed today and an additional 35 medical personnel are arriving in the coming days to staff the hospital.

"We sent this field hospital today to bring more relief to the suffering Haitian people," said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. "We pray that as our staff treats the sick and wounded, God will use our efforts to remind them of His love for them."

Teams continue to bring emergency shelter and clean water to overwhelmed communities in the hardest-hit areas of southern Haiti. The international Christian relief organization already deployed more than 30 tons of emergency relief supplies and teams on the ground continue to bring aid to hurting families.

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The North Carolina-based organization has continued relief efforts in Haiti since 2010, and stands ready to quickly increase aid as needed. The Emergency Field Hospital's deployment comes while the organization simultaneously prepares to begin accepting patients at a respiratory care unit in Jackson, Mississippi.

In partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the Mississippi field hospital will serve up to 32 patients at a time—including five intensive care beds. This marks the sixth COVID-19 field hospital Samaritan's Purse has deployed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

SOURCE Samaritan's Purse