La Guaira: The Little Sisters of the Poor of Maiquetía have set up a field hospital in La Guaira after a powerful earthquake caused severe damage to San José Hospital, leaving the building unsafe for patients and medical workers.
The congregation, which has served communities in La Guaira and Caracas for generations, moved its healthcare services to Padre Machado Square, directly opposite the damaged hospital. Under tents and temporary shelters, doctors, nurses, religious sisters and volunteers are now treating people injured in the disaster and providing essential care to families affected by the earthquake.
Sister María Yraida Mora Sánchez, Vicar General of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor of Maiquetía, said San José Hospital suffered serious structural damage and could no longer be occupied safely. The sisters therefore had to act quickly and create a temporary medical facility where healthcare services could continue.
The disaster has caused widespread suffering across La Guaira. Authorities have reported more than 3,500 deaths, while rescue teams continue searching through the rubble. The recent discovery of survivors has given families hope that more people may still be found alive.
Sister Mora described a community where almost everyone has experienced personal loss. Some people have lost relatives, friends or children, while others have lost their homes and places of work. For many families, the earthquake has destroyed not only their houses but also the means through which they earned a living.
Along with operating the field hospital, the sisters are regularly visiting three emergency shelters where displaced families are staying. They are providing food, drinking water, medicines and other basic supplies. The situation is particularly difficult because Venezuela was already experiencing a serious economic and humanitarian crisis before the earthquake.
Faith has also become an important source of comfort for the affected community. Sister Mora recalled that a recent Sunday Eucharistic celebration was held in Padre Machado Square and presided over by Pablo Modesto. Despite the loss and uncertainty, many people gathered for prayer and showed strong trust in God.
The sisters face enormous challenges in maintaining healthcare services. San José Hospital was a Level II healthcare facility offering several medical services before the disaster. The congregation also runs Madre Emilia School in Maiquetía, healthcare centres in Caracas and a home for older adults.
The temporary field hospital is receiving support from the Italian Red Cross, the Venezuelan Association of Christian Oriented Health Services, known as AVESSOC, and doctors connected with Padre Machado Clinic and San José Hospital.
Medical teams are working in difficult conditions. Many staff members and volunteers helping earthquake victims have themselves been affected by the disaster. Despite their personal losses, they continue caring for patients and visiting camps where displaced families are living.
One of the biggest concerns is ensuring continued treatment for people with chronic illnesses. Patients living with hypertension, diabetes and epilepsy need regular medication and medical supervision. Interruptions in treatment could lead to serious complications, especially at a time when the local healthcare system is under extreme pressure.
There are also growing fears of a wider public health emergency. The region is extremely hot, running water is unavailable in many places and shortages of medicines are becoming more serious. Sister Mora said there is an urgent need for medicines including antihistamines, blood pressure medication and antifungal creams.
Clean drinking water is another major concern. Water is needed not only by displaced families but also by rescue workers and residents searching through damaged areas. Some people continue working among the rubble in the hope of finding survivors or recovering the few possessions that remain.
Access to medicine has become difficult because many pharmacies in the region have been destroyed or remain closed. Doctors are trying to organise their patients and distribute available medicines as carefully as possible.
People with the most serious injuries have been transferred to hospitals in Caracas. In La Guaira, the field hospital is mainly providing primary healthcare, including wound treatment and care for patients suffering from diarrhea and viral illnesses, which have already begun to appear following the disaster.
The destruction of San José Hospital has brought particular sadness to the Little Sisters of the Poor of Maiquetía. The hospital is deeply connected to the congregation's history and has served the community for 138 years. It is also the birthplace of the congregation and contains the chapel where the remains of its founders, Father Machado and Mother Emilia, are buried.
For the people of La Guaira, the hospital has long been more than a healthcare building. It has become a symbol of service and care for generations of families across the region.
Despite the scale of the destruction, Sister Mora said the mission of the hospital continues through the people serving the community. She stressed that a hospital is not simply made of walls and concrete, but also of the nurses, doctors and religious sisters who continue working each day to care for those in need.
As rescue efforts continue and families face the difficult task of rebuilding their lives, the field hospital has become a sign of practical support and hope. Under tents and temporary canopies, healthcare workers are continuing the mission of San José Hospital, ensuring that the earthquake does not completely interrupt medical care for one of Venezuela's hardest hit communities.