Samaritan's Purse Puts Up Emergency Field Hospitals In Response To Coronavirus

Samaritan’s Purse has put up Emergency Field Hospitals in New York City in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The international Christian relief organization arranges to open a 68-bed field hospital and two respiratory care units.

President of Samaritan’s Purse

Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, said in a statement, “People are dying from the Coronavirus, hospitals are out of beds, and the medical staff is overwhelmed. We are deploying our Emergency Field Hospital to New York to help carry this burden. This is what Samaritan’s Purse does – we respond in the middle of crises to help people in Jesus’ name. Please pray for our teams and for everyone around the world affected by the virus.”

70 healthcare workers will team up to staff the hospital. The group’s infectious disease experts are partnering with the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make sure the teams are taking the necessary precautions. The healthcare team will be led by Dr. Elliot Tenpenny. Dr. Tenpenny has previously treated Ebola patients in West Africa, Syrian refugees in Iraq and earthquake victims in Ecuador.

In addition, Samaritan’s Purse also deployed a similar field hospital in Cremona, Italy last week. Positioned at the heart of the pandemic in Europe, intensive care unit beds were filled up in just one day.

Sharing the Hope of Christ

Brock Kreitzburg, who manages the Samaritan Purse International headquarters, said, “We have hope in Jesus Christ. And so when we go there we are meeting the physical needs of course, but we’re also sharing the hope of Christ. And that’s ultimately what drives what we’re doing whether it’s a hurricane, or an earthquake, or Ebola or the coronavirus. Sharing the hope of Christ is what drives us.”