Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian-based relief nonprofit organization, deployed a 30-bed emergency field hospital to Ukraine on Friday. The organization said that the first phase of the deployment began with a DC-8 cargo plane based in Greensboro, N.C. airlifting the initial stages of the hospital, along with a disaster response team. The plane will land in Poland, and the field hospital, and doctors, nurses, and other personnel will be transported overland to Ukraine to provide specialized trauma care to those being injured during the Russian invasion.
The field hospital has an operating room and capacity to handle up to 10 surgeries per day, an intensive care unit, an emergency room, a pharmacy, and its own water and sanitation system. As many as 100 patients a day can be seen at this hospital, and it will be operated by more than 50 staff (medical and non-medical), the group said.
“The situation on the ground is fluid and changing rapidly, but the hospital could be operational early next week,” Samaritan’s Purse reported.
“Ukrainian families are hurting and in desperate need of physical aid and prayer during this difficult time,” said Franklin Graham, president.“We are deploying life-saving medical care to aid people who are suffering. We want to meet the needs of these families in their darkest moments while pointing them to the light and hope of Jesus Christ.”
Samaritan’s Purse already has disaster response specialists on the ground in Poland, Romania, and Moldova, and will send two smaller medical clinics on an additional flight next week. The organization is working now to identify the best place for these units to be located to meet minor trauma needs and provide general medical care for some 200 patients each day.
Samaritan’s Purse reported people fleeing into Romania, where the group is already helping refugees.
The Ukraine crisis is widening as fighting continues in major cities. More than one million refugees, primarily women and children, have left the country seeking shelter in nearby nations.
Samaritan’s Purse has been working in Ukraine for years though its Operation Christmas Child program, and so has many contacts throughout the country.
“As conflict erupted, we were in the process of distributing 600,000 gift-filled shoeboxes this year. We remain in contact with churches in the country to see how we can assist in this volatile situation. Please pray for God to grant them strength and protection,” the group said.
The group also has many connections in Alaska, where it is well-known and maintains an office and aircraft in Soldotna. It operates Operation Heal Our Patriots at Port Alsworth every summer, where war veterans and their spouses come for healing and restoration. Also, the group sends many volunteers to villages every year to rebuild from disasters such as floods and fires.
One of the best ways to help Samaritan’s Purse is through a donation at the group’s website. There are positions open for those with specialized skills or for those who wish to join a disaster relief team at this link.
