Samaritan’s Purse is responding to the coronavirus outbreak in Southern California— deploying an Emergency Field Hospital in Lancaster to support the region’s overwhelmed healthcare system. Antelope Valley Hospital and the City of Lancaster reached out to Samaritan’s Purse because of their experience in providing surge capacity in the wake of the pandemic.
Now, the international Christian relief organization is building a 50+ bed field hospital, specialized as a respiratory care unit, in the parking lot of Antelope Valley Hospital. Samaritan’s Purse medical personnel will provide high-quality care and compassion to coronavirus patients.
“As COVID cases are still on the rise, we are deploying a second Emergency Field Hospital in the U.S.—this time to California,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “We have the opportunity to help relieve some of the pressure from the healthcare system in Lancaster, and we’re thankful our team can come alongside them. Please pray for the frontline workers fighting COVID every single day.”
Last week, Samaritan’s Purse deployed a tractor-trailer stocked with portions of the Emergency Field Hospital from its warehouse in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. It arrived in California on Saturday, and disaster response specialists began to construct the more than 50-bed unit. Today, the organization’s DC-8 cargo plane airlifted additional components of the mobile field hospital to the west coast.
“We are grateful for the support provided by Samaritan’s Purse, as we anticipate another surge of COVID patients in the coming weeks, the help couldn’t have been more timely,” said Ed Mirzabegian, Antelope Valley Hospital CEO. “We have also been humbled by the support of the community, as volunteers help set up tents and bring in supplies needed for the field hospital. We have faith that together we will overcome this.”
“When we heard Samaritan’s Purse was willing to help us with the current COVID-19 crisis, I was beyond thankful. Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian organization that helps those in need around the world,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “They have been instrumental in responding worldwide to this pandemic, and we are fortunate to have their support here in the City of Lancaster. God is so good.”
Samaritan’s Purse opened a similar 30-bed respiratory care unit in western North Carolina on January 7, making this the fifth Emergency Field Hospital that Samaritan’s Purse has deployed in response to the coronavirus. In 2020, the N.C.-based relief organization treated more than 650 COVID patients in Italy, New York City, and the Bahamas.
With international headquarters in Boone, NC, Samaritan’s Purse is an international Christian relief organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world in Jesus’ Name. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine.
