The first rotation of the START hospital returns from Venezuela, having treated more than 1,800 patients

The Diplomat The first group of volunteers from the START (Spanish Technical Aid Response Team) field hospital, of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), returned to Spain this Monday after completing the first part of their healthcare mission in Venezuela, where they treated 1,805 patients and carried out 2,194 medical consultations. This group was relieved this past weekend by the second rotation, which will allow the healthcare capacity deployed by AECID to remain operational for at least two more weeks. In total, 91 professionals will be part of the START mission in Venezuela, where they have worked for the past few weeks in support of the international response to the earthquake of June 24. During this first rotation, according to the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the START field hospital treated 1,805 patients and conducted 2,194 medical consultations, as many patients required treatment from multiple specialists. To date, the Spanish Cooperation's START response has intervened in humanitarian crises such as the earthquake in Turkey (2023), the hurricane in Jamaica (2025), and Cyclone Idai in Mozambique (2019). "The initial assessment of the deployment is very positive," according to the Agency. The field hospital's installation in Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda Park, in the heart of Caracas, has allowed not only the direct victims of the earthquake who lost their homes and are currently in shelters to travel to the center by bus for treatment, but also helps the general population, who are indirectly affected by the overcrowding of the capital's hospitals, to receive the necessary primary care. “In this way, the EMT1 START complements the response capacity of the Venezuelan National Health System at a time of high healthcare demand, attending to both people directly affected by the emergency and displaced populations or those with difficulty accessing their usual health centers,” the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) continued. The assistance, it specified, has focused on primary care, psychosocial support, rehabilitation of patients with muscle fatigue or injuries sustained during rescue operations, and the treatment of respiratory conditions resulting from the inhalation of dust and smoke. Furthermore, the START team is carrying out epidemiological surveillance to contribute to the early detection and prevention of potential disease outbreaks associated with the emergency situation. The first rotation consisted of 44 volunteer professionals—highly specialized healthcare and logistics personnel—from the National Health System and various public emergency services throughout Spain. They deployed an EMT1 (Emergency Medical Team type 1) field hospital, certified by the World Health Organization (WHO), from which they provided medical care to the population in coordination with Venezuelan authorities and all humanitarian actors present on the ground. New figures The double earthquake, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, has now caused 4,490 deaths, according to the latest official figures announced this Sunday by the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez. In addition, it is estimated that there are around 50,000 missing persons, according to unconfirmed sources from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. In the case of Spanish citizens, the latest tally is 41 deaths, 139 missing persons, and eleven people located and trapped under the rubble, whom "we have not yet been able to access," as declared this Monday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, who also reported the arrival in Spain, this same Monday, of a new plane for the repatriation of 22 Spaniards and citizens of Venezuela and other European countries.

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