Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse is pitching in to help build a hospital to combat the coronavirus response efforts in New York City.
Graham — who is the president of Samaritan’s Purse — took to Twitter on Sunday evening with a video offering a glimpse of the emergency field house being built in Central Park. The field hospital is supposed to be running by Tuesday.
The video captured images of the large white tents being erected to be transformed into a mobile hospital.
His tweet read, “Take a look as the [Samaritan Purse] Emergency Field Hospital goes up in Central Park. Please pray for those battling COVID-19.”
Check out the video below:
Take a look as the @SamaritansPurse Emergency Field Hospital goes up in Central Park. Please pray for those battling COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/JzXaykUoJq
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) March 29, 2020
According to Fox News, the emergency field will boast a medical team of 70 doctors headed by Dr. Elliott Tenpenny — widely known for his disaster response efforts in Syria and West Africa during the previous Ebola outbreak.
Samaritan’s Purse is working with Mt. Sini Hospital, as well as other government agencies.
During an interview with the New York Post, Tenpenny shared his reaction to being stationed in New York City heading the pandemic medical team.
“This is honestly the most improbable place we’re ever been,” Tenpenny told the publication. “I never would have guessed we’d come to New York City with something like this. But New York never thought it would be dealing with a pandemic, either.”
The latest news follows a string of reports about New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) requests for medical supplies, ventilators, and other federal assistance.
On multiple occasions, Cuomo has stressed the importance of the needed supplies. He has also offered a projection of possibilities that could occur if those needs are not met and how it could impact the hospital system.
“The concept is right: Flatten the curve, slow the spread so the health care system can handle it,” Cuomo said during a press briefing on March 17, adding, “[But] I don’t think of a curve. I think of a wave. And the wave is going to break, and the wave is going to break on the hospital system.”