Catholic Medical Mission Board Helps Haiti
01/14/2010
Haiti's newest tragedy and its coming public health challenges
Jan. 13, 2010
This morning, I woke up in Zambia, where I am traveling on business, to an email from CMMB staffer, Kathy Tebbett, that contained the simple message below:
"The old St. Damien's Hospital in Petionville collapsed......Our Little Brothers and Sisters have staff and volunteers trapped there....they are digging out and organizing airlifts....please keep them in your prayers."
This was followed by another message from a consignee of ours, Father Rick Frechette. I'm not privy to share the full email with you, but the subject line says it all - "Haiti's newest tragedy. We need God's help."
This tragedy - the worst earthquake in 200 years - has displaced an estimated third of Haiti's population. With their homes in ruins, many have nowhere to go and people are sleeping in the street for another night. Emergency care is going to be almost impossible to access - every day is an emergency for Haiti - and the greatest demand for medical care is during the first 24 hours after an earthquake. For those trapped, it's the first 72 hours that are key. But where do we go from here? CMMB's distribution center has already arranged for 20 pallets of well-needed scrubs, toothbrushes, medicines and other medical supplies to be sent out tomorrow morning, and we will continue to accept and send donations to Haiti as long as basic health care is a need.
Haiti's Coming Public Health Challenges
Once we move beyond the present tragedy of this earthquake, we need to focus on the long-term. After the broken and crushed bones, dust inhalation, and burns, quake survivors will face the challenges of dengue fever, typhoid, malaria, trauma and treatment for serious injuries.
CMMB will be there to help with all this - providing emergency funding for the partners who work with us in our maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS and malaria programs. We will send medical volunteers and, of course, more medicines.
I am sure this has been an overwhelming time for us all. After participating in war-room-like conference calls, creating Haiti quake relief teams and mobilizing all the staff we can to figure out who's where and what we can do, I have been able to reflect on the fragility of Haiti. We all know it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and CMMB knows better than many since we've been working there since 1912. And, after the first-responders and emergency relief leaves CMMB will still be there.
CMMB in Haiti
CMMB is accepting monetary contributions, as well as medicines and medical supplies to assist victims of the quake. CMMB has been working in Haiti since 1912 and maintains a key office there. Last year, the organization sent 77 shipments of donated medicines and medical supplies valued at over $64 million dollars to help those in need. CMMB also deployed 240 long-and short-term healthcare volunteers in the last year in Haiti. Its on-the-ground maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS and malaria programs help tens of thousands of Haitians annually.
Jeff Jordan is senior vice president for programs at the Catholic Medical Mission Board.
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