Medical Director Peter Holz is busy letting air out of one of the last few tents standing at their field hospital in a University of Mississippi Medical Center Garage.
"Getting that rolled up is a challenge because it has to be small enough to fit into a crate to go on the truck," said Holz.
When the non-profit organization set-up the 32 bed temporary facility last month, Mississippi COVID-19 hospitalizations topped well over 1,600. This week the state health department is reporting nearly 1,300. Alyssa Benson is the spokesperson for Samaritan's Purse.
“Our team is encouraged because right now the COVID cases are decreasing in Mississippi and this is around the timeframe that we originally discussed with the University of Mississippi Medical Center to begin dismantling our field hospital. Their team feels like they’re capable to take on the extra COVID caseload,” said Benson.
Benson says more than 60 staff worked 24/7 to provide care to 65 patients. Damon Tripp manages medical emergency responses. He says they put in long hours and worked hard to relieve some of the pressure on the UMMC staff.
“We come not only to help them physically but also emotionally and spiritually to give them a boost and let them know God cares about them. We care about them and we want to serve,” said Tripp.
Alyssa Benson says they should be packed up today and teams will be on the ground in Jackson, until Sunday.
