Partners In Health Haiti Earthquake Recovery

Partners In Health: Sat. 1/16 Report from Haiti

Partners In Health (PIH) has been providing vital health care services in Haiti for more than 20 years and has over 100 doctors, 600 nurses and 4,000 employees on the ground in Haiti working from 10 existing PIH hospitals to provide relief services to those affected by Tuesday’s earthquake. PIH surgical teams are currently located in: Port-au-Prince, St Marc, Cange, Hinche, and Belladere and medical teams located elsewhere.

“We find that years of patient investment in building a strong local partner organization mean that we are again in the position of responding effectively to a natural disaster. We are very proud of our team.” – Paul Farmer on Partners In Health and Zanmi Lasante

Here are the latest on-the-ground developments as reported by the PIH team in Haiti: • The PIH team in Port-au-Prince has been designated by the World Health Organization to serve as coordinators at University Hospital (HUEH). In that role, PIH is supporting the administration and staff in restoring services at the city's central hospital, which will also serve as the base of operations for our emergency triage and surgical teams in Port-au-Prince and for referring patients who need more advanced care for transport to our facilities in the Central Plateau and Lower Artibonite. • Today, PIH is sending 25 medical professionals (surgical teams, anesthesiologists, emergency room physicians and nurses) to support ongoing efforts. The doctors and nurses are from Partners Health Care and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and many speak Haitian Creole. PIH has also sent engineers to assess structural damage and safety at HUEH and PIH facilities. Additionally, PIH is sending over 300,000 bottles of potable water and well as approximately 1,500 lbs of critically needed medicines, medical supplies and equipment. The medical teams and supplies are being transported via four separate planes and set to arrive on the ground in Haiti by later this afternoon/evening. • PIH teams located in the Central Plateau are reporting a wave of massive reverse urban migration among more able bodied Haitians fleeing the devastated and chaotic capital looking for safety, shelter and medical care. PIH experts believe these migration trends will have long-lasting impacts on the settlement patterns across Haiti with profound impact on the public health system and social services. PIH was built in partnership with the Ministry in Health for more than 20 years. • PIH co-founder Paul Farmer flew into Haiti on Friday (1/15). He witnessed the devastation, met with Haitian government officials and reviewed the situation at the University Hospital, confirming the importance of restoring its capacity to serve as the hub of the medical response in the capital. In his capacity as the UN’s Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti, he also met with staff from the UN mission that lost its headquarters and over 100 colleagues in the earthquake to offer his solace and support.