Following the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes that caused widespread damage in Turkey and Syria, the aid organization Samaritan’s Purse mobilized its disaster response team and sent a 52-bed field hospital and dozens of technical equipment, relief supplies and medical personnel to Turkey to meet the urgent needs of earthquake victims.
The Field Hospital is located in Antakya, Hatay, after the Hatay State Hospital was severely damaged in the earthquake.
One of a series of interviews that the SAT-7 TÜRK team and Senem Ekener, one of the hosts of the World Vision program, carried out in the region was with Stephan Sneed from Samaritan’s Purse Communications. Stephan Sneed gave information about the field hospital they established in Turkey.
Stephan Sneed said this about the team:”In Turkey today we have nearly 100 Disaster Assistance Specialists who are on the ground to assist us in either a medical capacity or through something like support. So, we have engineers, logisticians we have a construction crew who can help us put the tents up very quickly to meet needs immediately. So, on the ground today we have nearly 100 folks who are working to provide the best level of care that we possibly can. These staff come from all over the world. Most of us are based in the United States however we have staff serving from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia… Really all over and they come with the hope that they’re going to be sharing just physical care to those who are suffering right now and to bring hope during a really difficult time.”
Stating that they are in a facility that works 24/7, Sneed:”So, every day, every hour of the day we are open and we’re treating patients. We have a day shift and a night shift. it takes time so, we are really bundled up in jackets, working hard but remembering always while we’re here, remembering that the patients are number one priority and showing them again there’s hope for tomorrow, even though it looks like all hope is lost, there is hope for the future. And we want them to know that and we can love on them you know a joyful heart and spirit. But it is something that is taxing and so we ask that people would pray for us as well as for the Turkish people. But we’re just so thankful to be here and to be working with the Ministry of Health just to come along… the Turkish people they’re extremely resilient and they inspire us to be resilient as well.”
“As Samaritan’s Purse, we’re committed to being here for an initial time frame. With the Turkish Ministry of Health we’ve been in discussions for what they need and how we can best support. But anytime Samaritan’s Purse deploys and sends staff, we are available and open to staying as long as we can, as long as there is a need and as long as we’re allowed. And so we’re thankful to be here, we don’t have an end date set, we’re open-ended.”
*The full interview will be on SAT-7 TÜRK upcoming soon.
