Sánchez welcomes second and final rotation of START hospital following Venezuela earthquake

Eduardo González The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, welcomed the second and final rotation of the START (Spanish Technical Aid Response Team) field hospital on Friday. The team, from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), has completed its healthcare mission deployed in Venezuela following the earthquakes of June 24th. During the welcome ceremony at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, Pedro Sánchez thanked the 90 personnel who made up the two rotations. “Today I wanted to personally thank the AECID START team for their mission in Venezuela,” the Prime Minister posted on social media. “They were where they were most needed, caring for thousands of people after the earthquakes,” he continued. “My gratitude to all the professionals and institutions that made this response possible. Their work demonstrates that Spain rises to the occasion when it is most needed,” he added. A total of 90 volunteers from various autonomous communities participated in the two rotations, working in coordination with Venezuelan authorities, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the European Civil Protection Mechanism. According to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two START rotations provided care to more than 7,000 people at the field hospital deployed in Caracas over the course of a month. The medical team provided care in multiple specialties, covering areas such as primary care, emergency medicine, pediatrics, traumatology, as well as diagnostic support in laboratory services, pharmacy, X-ray, and ultrasound. Between July 4 and 20, the field hospital remained operational in Caracas' Parque del Este, treating 3,463 patients and providing 4,290 medical consultations in various specialties, including general care, pediatrics, traumatology, obstetrics and gynecology, minor surgery, and mental health—one of the most pressing needs following the emergency. In addition, the high volume of patients required the establishment of a triage area where another 2,962 people were assessed and referred, bringing the total number of people treated during the deployment to 7,252. The hospital served individuals ranging in age from three days to 99 years old, of whom 62 percent were women and 38 percent were men. Among the patients were 595 people over 65 years of age, 116 children under four, and 109 pregnant women. The team also identified and assisted 315 particularly vulnerable individuals, including children, displaced persons, and families who had lost their homes. Two out of every five patients sought help for problems directly or indirectly related to the effects of the earthquakes. The rotations The first rotation, comprised of 44 volunteer healthcare professionals, logistics specialists, and cooks from the National Health System and various public emergency services throughout Spain, departed on July 1st for Caracas, where they deployed an EMT1 (Emergency Medical Team Type 1) field hospital, certified by the World Health Organization (WHO). The group returned to Madrid on July 13th and, during those almost two weeks, treated 1,805 patients and conducted 2,194 medical consultations. The second contingent departed on July 12th and returned to Spain this past Friday, July 24th. Of the 90 professionals who made up the mission, 56 were healthcare personnel, 24 were specialists in logistics, cooking, and infrastructure management, and 10 were coordination professionals from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and TRAGSA. Among them were emergency room physicians, pediatricians, surgeons, traumatologists, obstetricians and gynecologists, nurses, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, hospital pharmacists, physiotherapists, laboratory and radiology technicians, as well as specialists in preventive medicine and public health. All of them are part of the AECID's roster of professionals, capable of deploying in less than 72 hours when a country requests international assistance. To make this possible, agreements have been signed with the Ministry of Health, the Madrid City Council Fire Department, the NGO CESAL, and Doctors of the World, among others. The teams came from various autonomous communities, with professionals from Andalusia, Aragon, the Valencian Community, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile-La Mancha, Castile and León, Catalonia, Galicia, the Balearic Islands, the Community of Madrid, the Chartered Community of Navarre, and the Basque Country. Donations following the mission's closure As part of the operation's closure, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) has donated medicines and medical supplies valued at €50,000 to the Venezuelan Ministry of Health, following the priorities established by the Pan American Health Organization. AECID has also delivered construction materials worth €302,500 for the creation and improvement of temporary shelters for families who lost their homes as a result of the earthquakes. The donation, made through the European Civil Protection Mechanism, includes waterproof tarpaulins, zinc sheets, lumber, and tools for roof repairs, and will improve the living conditions of thousands of affected people. The double earthquake, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, has caused more than 5,000 deaths, according to the latest official figures. In addition, it is estimated that between 40,000 and 50,000 people are missing, according to various sources, some of them linked to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The Venezuelan government is omitting this figure from its official reports. Regarding Spanish victims, the latest tally, from July 21, is 50 deaths and 139 missing persons. According to the Prime Minister's Office, the Spanish government has launched "a comprehensive response to support the population affected by the earthquakes." Among the measures adopted, it has allocated one million euros to the Red Cross emergency appeal, sent essential supplies valued at 300,000 euros from the Colombian border, and approved an additional contribution of 500,000 euros, agreed upon with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), 15 autonomous communities, and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP). In addition, it contributes to global emergency funds and has deployed rescue teams with the support of the Ministry of Defense, Civil Protection, the UME, ERICAM and other specialized actors.

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