PRESS RELEASE: Samaritan’s Purse Responding to COVID-19 Crisis in Italy: DC-8 Cargo Plane To Airlift Emergency Field Hospital, Medical Team, and Critical Aid
Sydney, NSW March 20, 2020—Today, the Samaritan’s Purse Emergency Field Hospital, specially equipped with a respiratory care unit, opened in Cremona, Italy. The 68-bed unit was airlifted to Italy on March 17 using the relief organization’s DC-8 cargo plane to provide critical surge capacity to an overwhelmed hospital. The tent facility began receiving patients as soon as it opened so that staff could begin helping Italians with urgent medical needs.
Every day, hundreds of people are dying in Italy as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, and the Cremona Hospital has been forced to suspend all medical care except for maternity and pediatrics due to the overwhelming number of people suffering from the virus. The hospital is out of beds and people are suffering. To date, no patients in the hospital’s intensive care unit have survived the virus.
“The situation in Italy is desperate. The hospitals are overrun and people are dying,” said Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham. “We are called to respond in hard places. That’s why our team of disaster response specialists are on the front lines—providing life-saving medical care and sharing God’s love to people who are hurting.”
The Emergency Field Hospital is adjacent to the local hospital. When Samaritan’s Purse arrived with more than 20 tons of critical medical supplies, the hospital’s staff were overwhelmed with gratitude. One staff member said, “You are bringing hope to the city—even if it is dangerous, even if it is a crisis moment. I think this is going to change my country.”
In addition to what has already been sent, the Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 will airlift a second cargo load of medical supplies along with disaster responders to Italy on March 21.
Media Opportunities
• Interviews – Dan Stephens Samaritan’s Purse Australia and New Zealand Disaster Response Manager
• Broadcast-quality b-roll will be available upon request
• High-res photos of the Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 being loaded are available here
Media Contact:
Nikita Kumar – [email protected]; 0434 319 722
As Samaritan’s Purse provides critical care in Italy, 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
