| AHDH Relief Mission is Underway! With cargo of donations and Volunteers |
| Saturday Morning, January 23rd the AHDH team and donated cargo can finally get underway Passenger service to Port au Prince was suspended and landing permits for private aircraft are all but impossible to obtain AHDH stands ready to staff an existing hospital, equipped and ready with ambulance, surgical and clinical volunteers ... but transportation and access proved to be the problem |
| Loading at New Orleans Airport Saturday, January 23, 2010 |
| John Georges and AHDH Volunteers |
| New Orleans businessman John Georges generously solved our dilemma ... by providing the aircraft needed to transport cargo and part of our team of volunteers They will fly to Santo Domingo and then transfer themselves and the cargo into Haiti Behind the group you can see part of the cargo still waiting to go ... the plane took the maximum possible and more than a dozen bags went with American Airlines and the rest of the AHDH team We are working on a way to send the rest of the cargo |
| Friday, Feb 5th This is a plane leaving today to take AHDH supplies to Port au Prince. The boxes are medical supplies donated to AHDH. The plane is chartered by Bahama Habitat. * * * * * * * * * * Thursday, Feb 4th Last night we had a not so small aftershock, and even some predictions talk about a major repeat, which means we would be bringing new volunteers potentially in harms way. There is still no easy way to get people here. We have to have either a small private plane able to land in Jacmel or be flown by organization like Joy in Hope out of Florida, or Bahama Habitat. Alternately one can fly to Santo Domingo with American Airlines, and make arrangements to come to Jacmel, which is difficult. In other words until American Airlines resumes flights to Port au Prince, expected by Feb. 19th, there is no easy way to get here. It is a lot easier to get people out, as those small planes return empty. I would not encourage much more medical supplies collection but rather be ready for general stuff (food and water, clothing, personal hygiene and household goods) and again in concert with New Orleans Haiti Village Project as they have the green light from Mayor Zenny in Jacmel to come straight with a barge of supplies. There is no doubt that we need to create a flow of physicians, RNs, OR techs, technicians, but this needs to be organized, besides any other kind of problems of management. Unless someone would come and replace me, we have to live with the frustrations of a discontinuous support. I would be glad to be here full time but can't afford it yet and I am probably coming home in a few days with the last volunteers of this initial effort, but to return very soon as the task at hand is humongous, and we need to take some leadership role to shape that future Haiti.. I have to go for clinic now, as I am the only doc in our group left. I will answer any suggestions later. Charles * * * * * * * * * * Wednesday, February 3rd Here, we have been free of aftershock for a few days, and have good access to internet, since last night. We are in the midst of a dynamic situation, as we mentioned before, but we are developing a sense of what would be ideal: have AHDH's presence to be not a quarterly effort but an uninterrupted one, having a continuous impact. For example yesterday evening because of the return of most of our OR staff to home (Sandra, Diane, Madeline, Lorena), we had to take a patient over 30 miles of bad road to Dr Philippe's center, to perform a c-section while we have the best OR in the whole area. A few hours later, we almost had to repeat the same expedition with another patient in the middle of the night. But it would take someone on site at least for the first 6 months, as a routine is developed and all the pieces fall in place, and dedicated people recruited. As far as the supplies are concerned with the barge etc: We introduced Sunday Tim Duggan to Mayor Zenny,of Jacmel, and they are meeting frequently without a chance yet to be briefed on details. I would suggest therefore that the barge efforts be coordinated with the New Orleans Haiti Village Project, as Mayor Zenny already has secured arrangements with Tim. Some of the group, besides the docs we picked up Sunday, were in La Vallee today and made a tour with CODEVA's Executive Committee reviewing ways to bring water and electricity to the community as a whole and temporary lodging arrangements for reopening schools, as the students can't be convinced any time soon to get back in classrooms still vulnerable to aftershock. Our Nashville partners are en route with a large cargo plane of tents (500-1,000). * * * * * * * * * * Saturday, January 30th As you must realize when in a dynamic situation, our plans change from hour to hour. We are in the process of repatriating Dr. Nicole, Madeline, Diane, and Lorena, who were by Dr Philippe with Drs Belizaire, Nelson and Simeone since Tuesday as we had cleaned the La Valllee area of all trauma cases. The rest of the troop, including three from Nashville, will be here until the weekend or possibly next week. At this time, our need in La Valllee is to bring in a couple of midwives, ideally speaking French, and a couple of internists. We have not had any update about the rest of the supplies left in New Orleans. I know it is challenging, but we must try to get them to Haiti. I intend to return with more assets in a few weeks. Again, a dynamic process. Charles * * * * * * * * * * Saturday, January 30th These are photos of 3000 lbs. of medical supplies that went to Jacmel for Charles on Saturday * * * * * * * * * * Wednesday, January 27th Hi All, we had an aftershock - free night, Thank God. Now let me update you on the current perspective: Medical: We have cleaned the La Vallee area of their orthopedics problems by yesterday pm. Last night unexpectedly a Gun Shot Wound of the neck was rushed to us, and thank God our OR was fully equipped and we had a vascular surgeon in place. Thus this morning we dispatched our orthopedist and general surgeon and 2 nurses to Cayes-Jacmel where our partner, Dr Philippe, who assists us with our routine mission is badly in need of them. They are on stand by to return to La Vallee as needs arise. We are 5 left in La Vallee for Obstetric&Gynecology (vaginal, Cesarean etc.) or new trauma, and routine care. I really wish we also had a French or Creole speaking psychologist to help with Post Trauma Shock. We continue to consolidate our system for adequate response to any crisis, hoping the aftershocks will not get any worse and develop new victims. Miscellaneous: We are trying our best to support: * Lodging - Even though some houses are still standing, most are cracked and vulnerable to aftershock. Tents are sorely needed, and currently the hope is from the Nashville group who is trying to get authorization to land in Jacmel with a C-130 full of tents and food * Clothes and toiletries are in short supply * We are conversing with Jacmel's Mayor, and any progress should be shared with us, as they are getting ready for a Tent City, large volume of clothes, food, etc, either by barge or large cargo plane. I have to go now. I will try to send photos for yesterday's events. Stay prayerful, Charles * * * * * * * * * * Monday, January 25th We have limited access for the simple reason that aftershocks are running us out of the hospital building. Here are some photos. We can't afford the time to sort out for others at this time, as we have to rush out the hospital anytime the tremor comes. We will try tomorrow with more. Charles * * * * * * * * * * Saturday, January 23, 2010 Hello All. We made it to Santo Domingo, late morning today and are still there because we depend on commercial flights to make it to Port au Prince and then to Jacmel. We have no more precise info to share as we are not on the ground yet. If anything bring IV/IM antibiotics and analgesics, orthopedic material, namely drills and drill bits, plaster (some 50 patients waiting for orthopedic help) and general human needs (food, hygiene items,..soap, toothbrush, toothpaste). Keep pushing for more supplies and new volunteers to relieve our volunteers within the next 15 days. We will stay in touch, assuming we have internet there. Let us remain prayerful Charles |
| Notes From The Mission Field: |
AHDH Relief Team Is On Site In LaVallee Your Donations, Supplies and Volunteers Are At Work In Haiti |
| For the mission to be effective it needs more than just skilled doctors and nurses Friends of AHDH and the city of New Orleans donated tons of supplies All of which was sorted and packed by AHDH friends and volunteers |
| Soon after January 12, 2010 when the catastrophic earthquake struck Port-Au-Prince & its surrounding cities AHDH and Dr. Charles Rene sprang to action to help raise food, medications, orthopedic devices for the injured and supplies for the Hospital St. Joseph in La Vallee. Some such as Kettly Prophete, Dr. Fritz Fidele, Pastor Waters of Imani Temple New Orleans assisted by sorting, packing and loading the donations into a truck bound for the private jet provided to us by New Orleans mayoral candidate John Georges. |
