Over 1,000 victims treated at Samaritan’s Purse emergency field hospital near Mosul

By Samaritan's Purse Canada and ChristianWeek | March 29, 2017

CALGARY, AB —Samaritan's Purse's emergency field hospital near the besieged Iraqi city of Mosul has received its 1,000th patient since opening in early January—more than 435 of these patients have undergone major surgery. Women and children make up roughly 50 per cent of the current patient load, but all victims of war receive care, even ISIS fighters.

Many [of these patients] are critical and dying when they get to us," said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. "That is more traumatic injuries in a matter of months than many large hospitals in North America see in a year. I am so grateful for our medical staff who does an incredible job of providing life-saving care while showing the love of Jesus Christ."

Positioned to intercept the most critical patients who might not have survived the journey to the nearest permanent hospital—up to two hours away—the trauma hospital has received accolades from the United Nations for meeting this critical need. More than 50 Canadian doctors and nurses are among the staff who have, or are about to, put their lives on hold to travel to a war zone and help people in Jesus’ name.

The 54-bed trauma hospital is equipped with two operating rooms, an intensive care unit, a pharmacy and a laboratory. It was established in partnership with the World Health Organization and Iraqi Ministry of Health, and provides immediate medical care for people injured by chemical weapons, gunfire, mines and other explosives.

Since the battle for control of Mosul began in October 2016, Samaritan's Purse has also provided food assistance to more than 130,000 people in multiple camps for internally displaced. Thanks to the generosity of Canadian donors, the organization has supplied clean water, blankets, shelter materials, hygiene kits, cooking kits and shoes to displaced families and people returning to towns and villages freed from ISIS control.

Recently, Samaritan's Purse began offering nutrition education in refugee camps and installed shelters in three of the camps, which function as safe spaces for women to breastfeed.

Samaritan's Purse has served the people of Iraq during times of need on numerous occasions for more than two decades, and has—with its latest initiative—maintained a continuous presence in the country since 2008.

Christian medical personnel are still needed for deployments of three weeks or longer. For more information, please visit our website or contact Ian Stokes, Samaritan’s Purse Canada’s mobilization manager, at istokes@samaritan.ca or 1-800-663-6500 (ext. 8805).