homeWorld

Samaritan's Purse sets up new hospital six miles away from Mosul

A new high-tech field hospital for civilians and soldiers wounded in the clashes is seen in Bartella, Iraq, January 14, 2017. | Reuters/Azad Lashkari

Humanitarian aid organization Samaritan's Purse has recently opened a field hospital near the Iraqi city of Mosul to treat the soldiers and civilians who are injured in the battle against the Islamic State.

The hospital, which is located just over six miles outside the city limits of Mosul, spans five acres and includes an emergency room, two operating rooms and over 50 beds, according to The Christian Post.

Franklin Graham, the head of Samaritan's Purse, officially dedicated the hospital on Jan. 12. Iraqi government officials and United Nations representatives were also present to witness the opening of the facility.

Lise Grande, U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said that her office has reached out to several organizations asking for help to provide frontline trauma care, but only Samaritan's Purse answered the call.

The staff at the hospital has already treated dozens of people who were badly injured in the conflict in its first few days of operation.

The hospital is now the closest medical facility to the front lines of the battle between the jihadis and the Iraqi coalition trying to liberate Mosul. Trauma patients previously had to be transported to Erbil, which is one to two hours away from the embattled city.

Dr. Elliott Tenpenny said that the majority of patients at the hospital sustained a variety of injuries, such as shrapnel wounds, gunshot wounds and burns.

"Right now we are just taking the most seriously injured — red and yellow patients is how they are described here. They are the most seriously injured patients that do not have a chance to make it to the next-closest hospital," Tenpenny told The Christian Post.

"We are focusing on them to save the most lives possible. Focusing on the patients that are most critically injured and can't survive the ride. So, we have treated dozens of patients. I think it is right under 100 patients at this point and we have only been open a few days," the doctor continued.

Most of the doctors who work at the hospital only stay for a number of weeks then return home to their ongoing medical jobs. Staff members are required to stay in the area for a minimum of three weeks before they can go home. However, some of the doctors are willing to stay at the hospital for months, according to Tenpenny.