Doctors without Borders, MSF, in Port Au Prince January 13, 2010. www.doctorswithoutborders.orgThe first reports are now emerging from MSF teams in Haiti as they have treated hundreds of people injured in the quake. "The situation is chaotic," said one senior staff. "I visited five medical centers, including a major hospital, and most of them were not functioning." We spoke with MSF's Jennifer Tierney: "Some of our facilities have suffered significant damage and the teams are working extremely hard right now to provide medical services to people who have suffered as a result of the quake. They have set up some tent facilities and have treated more than 300 patients at this point for trauma injuries including burns and fractures. We are collecting donations to support the emergency and ongoing response in Haiti. MSF, Doctors without Borders, has been present in the country for quite some time now and our service to that population will continue after the earthquake response is over".
For Haiti Aid: There is the great "text" for Haiti at 90999 to send a 10.00 dollar donation through the Red Cross. But please consider donating through a long term programs through people that know Haiti well including:
Doctors without Borders: They are treating hundreds in tent clinics after facilities damaged.
New: STAND WITH HAITI DONATION PAGE HERE The special web site for Partners in Health has news reports and things you can do to support Haitians. Partners in Health, was already working in Haiti on long term programs and their emphasis in on helping the poor. Partners in Health on Facebook.
AFSC, American Friends Service Committee are collecting money for aid to Haiti on an emergency basis. Please continue to check their web site for updates 1-13-10.
Operation USA does conventional international aid programs and they have a project in Haiti plus emergency aid due to the earthquake.
Letter from Ophelia Dahl, Partners in Health
HAITI AID message via the Americas Program, “A New World of Citizen Action, Analysis, and Policy Options” www.americaspolicy.org
Dear Readers,
Below is a letter written by Ophelia Dahl, Executive Director of Partners in Health (PIH), an international organization dedicated to healthcare for the poor. They are currently working in Haiti to coordinate relief efforts and save lives after the dreadful earthquake that struck the nation.
It is estimated that the death toll could rise to over 100,000 and many more will be left hungry and homeless. We at the Americas Program strongly encourage all of you to give generously to support our partner organization PIH in these efforts—the donation links follow Ophelia’s letter.
Watch for exclusive updates on the pages of the Americas Program www.americaspolicy.org as we seek to locate and hear from our collaborators. We will be following the situation closely. We can only hope and strive for an outcome that not only enables the island nation to overcome the devastation, but also plants the seeds of a more equitable society--shaking off the onerous debt, free-trade dictums and structures of inequality that created a modern-day slavery in the home of the first successful slave rebellion.
The people of Haiti have the capacity to rebuild their society; now more than ever, they desperately need our help.
Laura Carlsen
Dear All,
Over the past 18 hours, Partners In Health staff in Boston and Haiti have been working to collect as much information as possible about the conditions on the ground, the relief efforts taking shape, and all relevant logistics issues in order to respond efficiently and effectively to the most urgent needs in the field. At the moment, PIH's Chief Medical Officer is on her way to Haiti, where she will meet with Zanmi Lasante leadership and head physicians, who are already working to ensure PIH's coordinated relief efforts leveraging the skills of more than 120 doctors and nearly 500 nurses and nursing assistants who work at Zanmi Lasante's sites.
We have already begun to implement a two-part strategy to address the immediate need for emergency medical care in Port-au-Prince . First, we are organizing the logistics to get the medical staff and supplies needed for setting up field hospital sites in Port-au-Prince where we can triage patients, provide emergency care, and send those who need surgery or more complex treatment to our functioning hospitals and surgical facilities. To do this, we are creating a supply chain through the Dominican Republic . Second, we are ensuring that our facilities in the Central Plateau are ready to serve the flow of patients from Port-au-Prince . Operating and procedure rooms are staffed, supplied, and equipped for surgeries and we have converted a church in Cange into a large triage area. Already our sites in Cange and Hinche are reporting a steady flow of people coming with medical needs from the capital city. In the days that come we will need to make sure our pharmacies and supplies stay stocked and our staff continue to be able to respond.
Currently, our greatest need is financial support. Haiti is facing a crisis worse than it has seen in years, and it is a country that has faced years of crisis, both natural disaster and otherwise. The country is in need of millions of dollars right now to meet the needs of the communities hardest hit by the earthquake. Our facilities are strategically placed just two hours outside of Port-au-Prince and will inevitably absorb the flow of patients out of the city. In addition, we need cash on-hand to quickly procure emergency medical supplies, basic living necessities, as well as transportation and logistics support for the tens of thousands of people that will be seeking care at mobile field hospitals in the capital city. Any and all support that will help us respond to the immediate needs and continue our mission of strengthening the public health system in Haiti is greatly appreciated. Help us stand up for Haiti now.
DONATE NOW TO HELP OUR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS
If you are not in a position to make a financial contribution, you can help us raise awareness of the earthquake tragedy. Please alert your friends to the situation and direct them to www.pih.org for updates and ways to help. Share this important update with your friends.
Thank you for your solidarity during this crisis,
Ophelia Dahl
Executive Director
Americas Program blogs:
http://americasmexico.blogspot.com/
http://americasprogram.wordpress.com/
TransBorder Project blog:
http://borderlinesblog.blogspot.com/ For inquiries: americas@ciponline.org or lecarlsen@gmail.com Tel: +52-55-5324-1201
Americas Program is a program of the Center for International Policy
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Email: americas@ciponline.org
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