One of the first patients treated by Samaritan’s Purse medical personnel was a mother of two who lost her arm in the earthquake.
Samaritan’s Purse responded immediately to the earthquake in Myanmar by sending an Emergency Field Hospital aboard our DC-8 aircraft. While the 60-bed hospital was being set up in the capital city of Naypyidaw, our medical professionals were able to begin performing surgeries even before the facility opened.
Among the first patients was Su Su Hlaing. On Friday, March 28, she was napping at home with her two sons, ages 8 and 13, when their world shifted forever. Seismic waves from a 7.7-magnitude earthquake roused them, but there was no time to escape their ground-floor apartment before the entire four-story building collapsed and trapped them inside.
“I could see my arm was instantly cut off,” said Hlaing. “Only the skin was attached. I was so scared and worried about my sons.”
Medical personnel transport Hlaing for surgery.
In the darkness, the three cried out for help, but the rubble was too heavy for neighbors to reach them. Then, the 13-year-old’s phone rang. It was his father, Zaw Naing Oo, who was racing across treacherous roads to help them.
“My occupation is a car workshop man,” said Oo. “I used a car jack to lift some of the things up, and we took [the woman and children] out one by one.”
It took three hours to free them from the rubble, and Hlaing said she remained conscious the whole time. She received first aid, but then waited for surgery.
Hlaing was one of nearly 100 patients awaiting surgical care in a gymnasium serving as overflow for the local Naypyidaw hospital. Once the Samaritan’s Purse team arrived, they began working out of existing, temporary medical units next to the in-process Emergency Field Hospital site. Hlaing was relieved to be seen by our medical professionals.
“The stress is quite full and hard,” said Hlaing in pre-op. “But I try to be strong because of my two sons. I want to see them educated and graduate. I have to strive forward.”
While the surgical team worked on Hlaing’s arm, Oo checked the tires on the stretcher and gave them a little more air.
A mother of two named Su Su Hlaing waves with appreciation for the opportunity to be one of the first patients Samaritan’s Purse teams operated on in Myanmar.
The surgery went well, and Hlaing was brought by ambulance back to the gymnasium where she is recovering.
Providing Compassionate Care in Any Environment
Reports show 3,500 individuals perished in the Myanmar earthquake, and at least 5,000 are injured, overwhelming local healthcare services.
“The faster you can get out and start working the better the outcomes you’re going to have for people in disasters like this,” said Peter Holz, Samaritan’s Purse emergency medical response specialist. “The team is developed to be able to operate in any environment and become functional within an hour of hitting the ground.”
Samaritan’s Purse doctors and nurses provided much needed care even while the Emergency Field Hospital was being set up at top speed.
Because the team is fully self-sufficient for at least three days at a time, they may be sent into communities with patients who are far from a hospital and need emergency surgery.
“I think that the opportunity is tremendous with this,” Holz said. “By arriving fast and providing good care in a humble manner—sleeping on the ground, waking up and providing care when it’s needed—I think that shows just a tremendous amount of compassion and love, and that’s what I’m most excited about.”
Our Emergency Field Hospital is now open and admitting patients from the gymnasium and anyone else who needs care in Myanmar.
Please pray for our teams and for those who are suffering in Myanmar.
