BAHAMAS — As the Bahamas experienced a deadly second wave of the coronavirus, Samaritan’s Purse came alongside the island nation to provide an Emergency Field Hospital and critical Infection Prevention Control (IPC) training. In partnership with Nassau’s Princess Margaret Hospital, Samaritan’s Purse doctors and nurses offered critical care at a 28-bed field hospital, specially designed to treat COVID-19.

Bob Spencer, MD, Samaritan’s Purse:

“These three men– Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego– fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished. ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt. And the appearance of the fourth is like the Son of God.’ The fire had not any power over the bodies of these men.” When we go into these wards, into these tents where the patients are, God is there before us. We’re following him. We don’t have the fear of the virus.

Here in the Bahamas, they’ve actually seen an uptick in their cases. And as the cases have risen, there are clusters of more and more patients that are becoming infected. So there’s a really steep increase in the number of cases, and with that the hospital has gotten to the point to where they’ve run out of capacity. Where there’s a need for health care like this, there’s also a lot of hurting. And there’s also a lot of people that are really struggling, and that’s where we come in.

Regina Randolph, RN, Samaritan’s Purse:

Our response here is to help the Princess Margaret Hospital. We are taking care of patients, but we are also training the staff here. We are going to help teach them how to protect themselves so that they can protect their patients and also the entire country and their island. The majority of us that are here have already treated COVID in other places. I’m a task oriented person. My desire is to try to make sure that we take care of the job. God has really been speaking to my heart and telling me, “Regina, this is not about the task. It’s about the person that is before you.” My underlying desire is for people to see Christ through me.

People in crisis are open, looking for something, someone to help you. So I’ve had many, many opportunities to talk to people about the love of Christ. He’ll speak through us if we are just open and willing.

Bob Spencer:

The most rewarding part of this response is when patients walk out that door. When we have patients that come here who are sick and they are really down with the illness, we love on them. We show them the love of Jesus Christ.

Regina Randolph:

I have to, every day, refocus myself. Jesus, You were here to love people. Be still. Know that I am here. You don’t have to do it. I will do it through you.

Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Samaritan’s Purse International Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) program is committed to meeting the critical needs of victims of war, poverty, famine, disease, and natural disaster. We stand ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever and wherever disaster strikes. The DART specializes in providing water, food, shelter, and medical care while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

CONTACT: Kaitlyn Lahm, news@samaritan.org

Read more news on Humanitarian Services, Disaster Relief, and the COVID 19 Pandemic.

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