Hi there folks. Well I did my stint yesterday for 9 hours or more interpreting for US, Korean and Hungarian doctors at the Haitian community hospital. What a sight when one arrives =- bodies everyone - searching for treatment, relatives camped outside on the grass and inside a hive of activity. They seemed to have received plenty of volunteers but I soon found my niche.
One of the doctors said that none of them had seen, in all their lives, the amount of amputations as they have in Haiti - mostly feet and legs - trapped under buildings etc. So this means that in the future there's going to be a HUGE need for prosthetics and physical handicap support for these people, in a country where the handicapped are way down the list of those being helped already!!
I was in the Triage area and the US Docs had got it very organised - with Zones all marked out and one doc per zone with a nurse and a translator (interpreter!). I was in Zone 1 but frankly I ran around from zones 1-4 and anywhere else I was needed. there were a lot of young Haitian guys acting as translators, not sure how good their English was. I was the go to person by all the patients in those whole areas and they called me DOC!! I said no not a Doc but what do you need, and then I'd go off and channel one of the docs to go and see to them. You know how bossy I am!! It was exhausting work as so much of the time I was on my feet, and the old knees don't do too well!!! but I grabbed a seat when ever they were physically treating the patients.
The patients with open wounds/fractures were treated in the hospital and hundreds of Xrays were being ordered - each time meaning I had to go to the Haitian staff to get a proper form and approval. They always put a price down on the form but as they only had their name and no address, plus they didn't do the usual Haitian thing of asking for money upfront I presume the Aid organisations are going to pay for them! The ones with closed wounds/fractures were being sent, many of them to the DR!! by bus I presume which cannot have been an easy ride. I've heard reports and I don't know if it's true, that people are complaining that the Dominicans are amputating too quickly and their limbs could be saved. I hope it's not true. The docs came in loaded with medical supplies and medicines etc. so they could send people out with pain pills and antibiotics which helped the patients financially!!
The Docs and I got on very well and I looked after my various patients and the Docs said it was great to have someone who could think for themselves and not just translate, as I would often woudl say Doc - do you need to give them an antibiotic shot, do you need to do this or that!! Thank GOd for some nursing experience that I had had.
In the middle of the day I tell you, we would have killed for a cold Prestige beer!! but only lukewarm water and some crackers available. Frankly didn't feel like eating anyway.
I organised different forms of transport systems and also for the XRay system as one guy who said he was organising everything hadn't set up a system for XRays - so I told him to Delegate!!
didn't go out today as my team of docs were on nite shift and they won't be back on until tomorrow so took the liberty of catching up with my emails and rest!!
We;re still suffering from lack of gas although they're giving more out now, but poor G... is still standing in line in order for me to communicate with you all - I hope you appreciate that!!! Cellphones - Ditgicel is being back to terrible again, mainly due to overloaded circuits!! and Banks and supermarkets have yet to open so people are running out of money.
The road to Jacmel has seemingly been just about fixed which will help enormously in getting desperate help thru to them.
The amazing news is that N..., is alive!!! Alive, then dead, then alive then dead, now definitely alive!! Amazing - I wonder which she feels more traumatised from - her kidnapping many years ago or this. Probablyboth on a par!!
They're still not listing my friend A.... on an official list of people dead, but I can't think that her partner would have said she had died if he didn't have proof, but it would be wonderful if she was still alive.
And I think I may have mentioned about another friend - a Frenchwoman who had lost her two daughters? well amazingly it wasn't true and she managed to get the 2 girls and their nanny out from under the rubble. Praise God!!
they reckon 4000 houses were destroyed inPauP - it doesn't seem like its enough. I would have thought more, but who knows. 70,000 dead have already been buried and they reckon the final tally will be between 150 and 200,000!!
43 international teams of emergency people have arrive plus millions of dollars; marines and soldiers etc. to help. 280 emergency centres to open. British Red Cross and others have opened Field hospitals.
Dutch and French govts have fasttracked vis for hundreds of adopted children to go their countries, but it seems the US is not being very forthcoming yet!!
Airport has started to work properly and they are receiving 100 planes a day with aid and aid workers.
DR president came in personally to the surprise of Pres. Preval and his own DR consul!! and sent people to help Digicel (doesn't seem to be working!!) as well as the electricity company and the many police stations.
Clinton said came in that he will continue to work with Haiti on:
1) Food water, medicine and housing
2) help to get support to rebuild buildings and economy, schools stc.
3) to help rebuild Haiti for a better future.
Rich and poor he said need to put their heads together to rebuild.
Min. of Culture said the General hospital where most people would go is without Electricity - they have 1500 aid people working therre and theybe happy to work around thenite but can't cos of lack of electricity. Plus they need food and water to feed these people as well as patients.
They've set up a Health Commission to co-ordinate the health problems.
The Govt. has asked for all Official vehicles to be brought back to their various offices so they can use them to help.
They are going to have meetings with the local mayors to co-ordinate disaster efforts.
Loads of people are fleeing PauP to go to the provinces even if they haven't got any families there - and they're begging local people to help take them in etc. They said eeveryone has someone in PauP affected, whether friend or family!!
Gas selling at 500 gourdes instead of a third of that!! outrageous.
A Christian academy behind the caribbean market is still showing life of people inside. Sent that off to a UN friend, hopefully they get to them - others are having the opposite - in that buildings have dead bodies inside and the smell is terrible. Unimaginable.
I am fine - still getting enough basic food on the streets - still got a 5 gallon bottle of water, and hope before it runs out there will be some to be bought.
I think that's as much as I can say for now. Keep us in your prayers and thoughts.
Thank you for all your supportive emails - can't reply to many as inundated - have over 500 still waiting for me to read, but most of those are news items. I have heard from so many people who are sending out this newsletter to their friends too - thanks for that.
Talk to you soon.
J........
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