First patient arrives at Boone-based organization’s field hospital in Ukraine

LVIV, Ukraine — It’s hard to imagine what the girl in the photo below was thinking. She had just gotten off a train in Ukraine and was looking for a doctor.

“It is hard to watch this. This is a country reeling; they are in pain,” said Edward Graham, the vice president of operations at Samaritan’s Purse.

On March 4, more than 20 volunteers, including doctors, nurses and other support staff, with Boone-based Samaritan’s Purse loaded up a plane with supplies to take to Poland. From there, the supplies went to Ukraine to set up an emergency field hospital.

“Our first patient, it was a lady, she was running from an air raid,” Graham said Monday. “Running down into the basement, and fell and broke her shoulder. And so that will be our first operation today will be that young girl.”

That girl is now safe at Samaritan’s Purse’s emergency field hospital in Ukraine. It opened Monday to serve people escaping the war.

More than a week ago, the organization packed the plane and airlifted 58 beds overseas. The field hospital has an ER, an ICU, and enough staff to help 150 patients.

“When we were there to meet with the team -- the Ukrainians -- at the rail station, there was a doctor,” Graham recalled. “She immediately started crying. She fell into our interpreter’s arms and said, ‘thank you for being here.’”

Graham told Channel 9 he just returned from Ukraine, where the organization opened clinics.

He said most people are suffering from cold weather-related injuries. Others are dehydrated or hungry.

While medical care is important, Graham said mental health is just as important. That’s why Samaritan’s Purse has chaplains on the ground too.

“The chaplain can listen to their story, help them talk and communicate what they are feeling,” he said. “We’re not going to leave the Ukrainians without the help they need.”

Graham said their field hospital is out of artillery range. He said if that changes, they could move to a safer location.

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