BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Members of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) and Barbados Fire Service who were deployed to Venezuela following last month’s double earthquake have been awarded the Hero of Venezuela Medal.

The honour was presented by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez to members of the Urban Search and Rescue team, which was deployed to La Guaira, which sustained extensive damage.

Barbados’ Ambassador to Venezuela, Commander Aquinas Clarke, announced the recognition as the team returned to Barbados on Thursday.

“I want to thank them for their outstanding representation of Barbados and the outstanding work they did while they were here in Venezuela,” Clarke said.

The ambassador also provided an update on Barbados’ humanitarian response, saying the BDF Field Medical Hospital being established in Guarenas was expected to become operational early next week.

He said 28 Barbadian personnel were already on the ground preparing the facility, which will serve communities affected by the disaster.

“At present, there are 28 persons from Barbados here setting up the hospital, and I suspect that by the end of today (July 10), the hospital will be set up. The services of electricity and water have been installed, and the Venezuelan authorities are currently constructing a field bathroom for use by the patients of the hospital,” Clarke said.

The hospital, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Anderson Goodridge, is expected to begin treating patients between Monday and Wednesday, once an additional contingent arrives from Barbados.

“We expect that there will be another 46 persons coming tomorrow on a flight out of Barbados, which will comprise the doctors and nurses, and other members of the support team for the hospital. So, by tomorrow night, we shall have a complement of 74 persons for the hospital here in Venezuela, out of Barbados,” the ambassador added.

Clarke said more than 5,000 people had been displaced in Guarenas, where schools, hospitals and other infrastructure sustained damage.

He thanked the BDF Chief of Staff and members of the Defence Force for their work in establishing the field hospital and appealed to healthcare professionals in Barbados to volunteer.

“You can deploy here for a period of two weeks. You can even deploy for a month if you have the time to assist at this critical juncture. Venezuela has always been a friend to Barbados, and I believe that this is an opportunity for us to give back,” Clarke said.