Spanish Field Hospital Concludes Mission in Venezuela After Treating 3,500 Patients

A Spanish field hospital deployed in Caracas, Venezuela, has successfully concluded its humanitarian mission, having provided medical care to an estimated 3,500 to 3,600 patients. The hospital, set up in a park in eastern Caracas, operated from July 4 until July 20, offering crucial medical services in the aftermath of a devastating double earthquake.

Marta Catalinas, the mission chief and head of humanitarian emergency area for the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (Aecid), confirmed the closure. "Operations closed on the 20th (of July), we closed the hospital and now we are finalizing," she told EFE, as staff began dismantling the equipment. The Spanish team arrived on July 1 to prepare for the hospital's operational start.

The ninety-person team, comprising healthcare professionals, logistics staff, and coordination personnel, handled over 4,200 consultations. While most patients were victims of the recent earthquakes, which caused significant casualties and damage, the hospital also treated individuals with chronic conditions or those unable to access damaged medical facilities.

Physiotherapy and mental health services were among the most in-demand. The mission's closure is described as "bittersweet" by Catalinas, acknowledging the temporary nature of the deployment. The earthquake's impact has been severe, with official figures indicating over 5,300 deaths, 16,740 injuries, 17,265 people left homeless, and hundreds of buildings damaged or collapsed.