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Spanish volunteers arrive in Venezuela to set up emergency hospital after earthquakes
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Disasters & Emergencies

Spanish volunteers arrive in Venezuela to set up emergency hospital after earthquakes

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A group of 50 Spanish volunteers, primarily medical professionals, arrived in Venezuela to set up an emergency hospital.
  • The volunteers are part of the START team, coordinated by the Spanish International Cooperation Agency (Aecid), to aid earthquake victims.
  • The mobile hospital will provide basic and emergency outpatient care, with a focus on chronic conditions and psychological trauma.

A contingent of nearly 50 Spanish volunteers, mostly women and medical professionals, has arrived in Venezuela to establish an emergency hospital following devastating earthquakes that struck the region a week prior. The group, part of the START (Emergency Aid and Response Technical Team) coordinated by the Spanish International Cooperation Agency (Aecid), landed at Carabobo airport.

We are still facing uncertainty, but I am expectant, I try to stay calm and think about what could happen and do it as best as possible.

— Silvia MorenoA nurse from Spain describing her feelings upon arrival in Venezuela.

Their mission is to provide essential medical assistance to those affected by the earthquakes, which have claimed at least 2,295 lives and injured over 11,000 people. The volunteers include doctors, nurses, firefighters, and logistics specialists. They are equipped to set up a self-sufficient field hospital capable of providing basic and emergency outpatient care.

Silvia Moreno, a nurse from northern Spain, expressed her readiness to contribute, drawing on her experience assisting after Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica last November. The hospital's setup will focus on treating chronic conditions and patients who have been unable to receive care since the disaster. It is designed to operate autonomously with its own power and water supply.

80% of people will have psychological issues characterized by the trauma they have experienced, the situation of being at risk of losing their lives, which represents significant psychological trauma.

— Ricardo AngoraA psychiatrist from Doctors of the World explaining the psychological impact of the earthquakes.

Recognizing the significant psychological toll of the earthquakes, the team also includes a psychiatrist from Doctors of the World. Ricardo Angora explained that an estimated 80% of survivors will experience psychological distress, including trauma and shock. He stressed the importance of addressing this trauma early to prevent it from becoming chronic and having long-lasting impacts on mental health. The mobile hospital is expected to treat around 100 patients daily once operational.

It is very important to address the trauma in the early stages to prevent it from becoming chronic because chronic trauma is much more complicated to treat and leaves an impact on people's mental health for the rest of their lives.

— Ricardo AngoraThe psychiatrist emphasizing the need for immediate psychological support.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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