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The Samaritan's Purse Emergency Field Hospital in Cremona, Italy, is caring for dozens of seriously ill people sickened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our 14-tent, 68-bed respiratory care unit, which opened March 20, is set up adjacent to the Cremona Hospital in order to treat an overflow of coronavirus patients.
“You are a bright light—the first bright light in our dark sky.”“You are a bright light—the first bright light in our dark sky,” said Giulio Gallera, the minister of health for the Lombardy region, at our hospital dedication.
Cremona Hospital has been forced to suspend all medical care, except for maternity and pediatrics, due to the overwhelming numbers of people suffering from this terrible disease. To date, no patients in the hospital's intensive care unit have survived COVID-19.
“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.”
On March 17, the Samaritan's Purse DC-8 aircraft transported the mobile medical facility and a large disaster response team, along with 20 tons of medical equipment, to the pandemic's epicenter in northern Italy. Our team, joined by the Italian Air Force and Lombardy Region Civil Protection Volunteers, unloaded the medical supplies and quickly began setting up and preparing the respiratory unit in Cremona to receive patients.
Following a second DC-8 airlift of staff and supplies on March 21, Samaritan's Purse now has more than 65 disaster relief personnel, including doctors and nurses, on the ground in Italy to serve hurting people in Jesus' Name. Our team works alongside local evangelical Christians—as well as Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains—to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in the context of their daily work.
Cremona lies outside of Milan in Italy's Lombardy region, the area hit hardest by the coronavirus. Hundreds continue to die each day in northern Italy. Facing more than 60,000 active coronavirus cases across the country, the need for intensive care beds has quickly overwhelmed the nation's healthcare system capacity in the worst affected areas.
The death toll across Italy has eclipsed 8,200 lives, which stands as the highest grim total for any nation in the world.
Please pray for our medical team serving in Italy and for the patients who will be treated at our facility. Pray for those sick with this coronavirus and their families around the world, and that this pandemic will soon come to an end.
Our infectious disease experts are working in coordination with the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure the team is taking necessary precautions.
Please note that we are also in close contact with United States health authorities and stand ready to deploy one or more respiratory care units, if needed, in country. If you are a licensed medical professional and interested in serving on a possible U.S. deployment, you can find out more information at SPvolunteer.org. The U.S. now has the highest number of active COVID-19 cases in the world—over 80,000.
The total number of reported COVID-19 cases worldwide has exceeded 500,000. The global death toll is closing in on 25,000.
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A nurse has Bible verses written on tape on her personal protective equipment.
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Doctors and nurses take time to pray together for their patients in the field hospital.
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Many elderly patients end up on ventilators, which have been in short supply since the coronavirus pandemic became so widespread.
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A second airlift on March 21 transported more medical staff and equipment to support our Emergency Field Hospital in Italy.
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Samaritan's Purse receives the first COVID-19 patient in the Emergency Field Hospital set up in the Cremona Hospital parking lot.
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Local officials and Samaritan's Purse staff join in a dedication ceremony.
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The respiratory unit is set up in the Cremona Hospital parking lot to care for an overflow of patients sickened with COVID-19.
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The need for medical care in Italy is critical, as more than 3,000 COVID-19 patients have died.
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Samaritan's Purse staff work hard to prepare the Emergency Field Hospital as quickly as possible.
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Our DC-8 aircraft transported 20 tons of medical equipment and a respiratory care unit as well as disaster relief specialists, doctors, and nurses.
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Medical supplies aboard the Samaritan's Purse DC-8 were airlifted to the coronavirus epicenter in northern Italy.
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You can also make a donation by mail. Send to: Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607