Emergency Field Hospital Being Delivered to Samaritan's Purse Canada to Increase Global Medical Response Capacity

State-of-the-art tent hospital arriving in Calgary March 19 via DC-8 and 757 cargo planes

CALGARY, AB, March 18, 2024 /CNW/ - On Tuesday, March 19, Samaritan's Purse will transport one of its Emergency Field Hospitals to Calgary to increase Samaritan's Purse Canada's capacity to launch international life-saving medical responses. The tent facility will arrive at the Calgary International Airport onboard the international Christian relief organization's DC-8 and 757 Cargo planes.

The hospital will be strategically positioned in the Samaritan's Purse Canada warehouse and have customizable units that include an emergency room, laboratory, surgical facilities, and everything needed for inpatient and outpatient care in the event of an international crisis.

"As our world faces increasingly large and frequent disasters, all of our global Samaritan's Purse offices are committed to responding in Jesus' Name at a moment's notice." said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. "Our emergency field hospitals have helped us save lives and bring the hope of the Gospel in the midst of crises around the world, and this facility will equip our Canada office to respond wherever God calls us next."

Since 1973, Samaritan's Purse Canada has been providing desperately needed relief around the world in Jesus' Name?including food, water, and temporary shelter for victims of war, poverty, disease, and natural disasters.

"We are thankful that the Lord has provided us with this resource," said Fred Weiss, executive director of Samaritan's Purse Canada. "We'll be able to deploy this field hospital along with Canadian disaster responders to provide expert care that will save lives and reduce suffering while sharing the message of eternal life through Christ."

Since its inaugural deployment to Ecuador in 2016, the Samaritan's Purse Emergency Field hospital has been deployed more than 20 times and provided emergency medical relief to tens of thousands of patients in disaster-stricken areas including war-torn Ukraine, Turkey following a deadly earthquake, and Iraq in the midst of the conflict in Mosul. All of these deployments have included Canadian doctors, nurses, and other staff.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 19, at 08:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. with media opportunities beginning at 07:45 a.m.

WHERE: Calgary International Airport 51°07'53.4"N 114°02'17.3"W  (specific GPS pin provided upon request)

ON-SITE CONTACT: Stephen Sneed, [email protected], (403) 975-7214

• Interview Fred Weiss, executive director of Samaritan's Purse Canada
• Interview Melanie Wubbs who has deployed with the Emergency Field Hospital and helped lead medical responses in locations such as Haiti, Ukraine, and Turkey.
• Gather b-roll footage of the cargo planes as they taxi on the tarmac
• Broadcast quality b-roll and photos of previous DC-8 and Emergency Field Hospital misisons in addition to the unloading of the Emergency Field Hospital in Calgary available upon request

Samaritan's Purse is a Christian relief and development organization that takes its name from Jesus Christ's biblical story of the Good Samaritan. Like that Good Samaritan, who found a beaten man and helped restore him, we aid victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine, and persecution. Besides emergency medical relief, our work includes Operation Christmas Child and providing safe water, vocational skills, and agricultural supplies and training to families in the developing world. Visit SamaritansPurse.ca for more information.

SOURCE Samaritan's Purse Canada