CDRS: Supplies for Haiti's Earthquake Recovery

SHINE/CDRS Haiti Update Feb 9th, 2010

SHINE/CDRS will deploy two of its own teams to Haiti. The first leaves out of Southern California on Feb 11th, and among the 12 team members are two SHINE board members, Asim Ashary (Chief Financial Officer) and Dr. Farzana Naqvi. The next group leaves on Feb 19th, and will consist of 24 doctors, nurses and non-medical personnel.

We are now in Week 3 of the Haiti mission. Operations are running smoothly on the ground. The main mulit-agency hospital in Bojeaux Barc continues to see upwards of 300 patients a day who present with a variety of issues - including post operative care, infections and primary health conditions. We are currently staffed by 25 volunteers from three different agencies across the United Sates, with each individual performing at a high level of excellency.

Medical volunteers are providing care out of the main hospital, as well as deploying to surrounding general hospitals, community hospitals and church clinics. They are also conducting two to three outreach missions daily to poor neighborhoods. On one occasion earlier this week, some of the volunteers working the night shift at the general hospital were able to save the life of a young woman who was hemorrhaging from an ectopic pregnancy. In addition, Executive DIrector Todd Shea met with actor/humanitarian Sean Penn and his foundation representatives on the ground last week and he has been asked to provide medical volunteers to the facilities that the foundation runs in Haiti.

SHINE/CDRS is also supplying food, water and medical supplies to camps housing the homeless, distributing rice, cornmeal, and other staple food products. We are continuing an appeal for donations of baby food, infant formula and oral rehydration salts.