PRESS RELEASE: Samaritan’s Purse Responding to COVID-19 Crisis in Australia
Australian Disaster Relief Team members deployed to Italy; N95 Masks distributed to Westmead Children’s Hospital.
Sydney, NSW April 9, 2020—Today, Samaritan’s Purse deployed two Disaster Assistance Relief Team (DART) members from Australia to support the Emergency Field Hospital in Cremona, Italy. The 68-bed unit opened in Italy on March 20, to treat coronavirus patients and provide critical relief to the overwhelmed hospital. The two Australians will serve alongside an international team of over 70 medical professionals from all over the world.
Catherine Stiles, Intensive Care Nurse from Queensland, and Tricia Miller, Lab Technician from South Australia, will join the doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals on the ground in Italy to continue helping Italians with urgent medical needs.
“I said I’d go anywhere in the world, but I saw Italy being hit quite early on, before anyone really knew what was coming. I didn’t hesitate to say yes when Samaritan’s Purse called out for a potential deployment. I want to help the nation and help my fellow healthcare workers. I feel privileged and honoured to be going. I will be working with some of the best doctors, nurses, logistics professionals in the world. You can’t ask for better support than that,” Catherine Stiles – Australian Disaster Relief Team member, Intensive Care Nurse.
In addition, Samaritan’s Purse donated 8,000 N95 face masks to Westmead Children’s Hospital on April 9. The masks were initially provided by Direct Relief and distributed by Samaritan’s Purse during the organisation’s bushfires response. As the team transitions to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, the masks will be used by the hospital, cleaning and medical staff to protect themselves.
“We are so thankful, so grateful for these masks. The N95 masks are a vital piece of equipment to make sure that we’re safe when we’re caring for patients during this worldwide pandemic,” Marisole – Westmead Children’s Hospital, Nurse.
Media Opportunities:
Interview: Dan Stephens, Samaritan’s Purse Australia and New Zealand Disaster Response Manager
Media Contact:
Nikita Kumar
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 0434 319 722
As Samaritan’s Purse provides critical care in Italy and the United States, the disaster response team continues to monitor the developing situation and has the capacity to respond in other locations if needed. Our infectious disease experts have been working in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure the team is taking necessary precautions.
Samaritan’s Purse Australia and New Zealand responds to physical and spiritual needs of individuals in crisis situations–especially in locations where few others are working. Led by President and CEO Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine and persecution. For more information, visit SamaritansPurse.org.au
