This report was forwarded from one of the HEAS partner ground teams:
Hello,
I want to thank you so much for your immediate response linking us with organizations that have offered such great encouragement by sending us teams, medicines, and supplies. Because of this, we have been able to expedite a quick response to this critical situation. After loading the donated and purchased supplies, including 30,000 packets of water in PAP our truck was over-loaded. We traveled with 2 Land cruisers full of dedicated doctors, nurses, and staff, determined to do whatever was necessary to save lives. The trip was 10 hours. We have a Pastor who houses us and opens his home. They cook for our teams and open his church for a huge depot, so it’s a great staging place in a great location.
Our goal was to go the distance, whatever it took to access and analyze all affected villages, calculating proper factual data of actual cases, water sources used, and collective samples. We set up 4 emergency stations. Desrivue is where the majority of cases came from. It is very central and accessible to many surrounding villages. Perla is a very remote region. It is accessible to Macochon and other surrounding villages where cases have been reported. Pavion is a two-hour mountain climb where there are many cases of cholera, and people are dying on their journey to Pestel because of the long distance that they have to travel. [This is a typical kind of disaster indicator for these rural, isolated communities in Haiti- we saw many such reports in the Sud Est and central mountainous areas. -JW] Tozia is a far away health facility that many walk to that is pathetically unequipped.
Working under the direction of Dr. Philippe, we have hired 2 nurses and workers per station, set up tents, medical supplies, etc. and they are already receiving patients, cutting down on the death rate. The rain will increase in March and April, so its important that these remain staffed and supplied for several months. Proper data is being kept daily and one U.S. staff that is adding supplies as needed. After inspecting these sites. We went village to village, climbed mountains, teaching and training villages, providing Aquatabs, soap and oral hydration packets to everyone, gathering water samples etc. We will continue to send teams out, and have workers provide extra medical help and supervision as much as possible. I realize that this just puts fires out, but would like to later discuss some possible permanent solutions in sanitation and permanent medical facilities, health care, clean water and education.
We do need continued active support and help through this crisis and appreciate all you have done to help us. In just the four full days after one emergency tent was set up, we saw 43 new cases from January 10th-13th, 2012. I am sending you the final report confirmed by all of our data as well as Dr. Philippe and Dr. Eli from WHO.
Judy Foster has been and continues to be very instrumental in providing assistance with needed supplies, transportation of people and supplies and has been a key person on the group to assist us. Please stay in touch with us. We are here to help in any way we can to help these precious people.
Sincerely,
Miriam Frederick
Cholera Report-January 14th, 2012
(Confirmed in Pestel Region by Dr. Philippe Senegue)
October 2011 Cases
115
November 2011 Cases
118
December 2011 Cases
126
January 1st-January 14th, 2012 Cases
90
Total October 2011-January 14th , 2012 Cases
449 cases of confirmed cholera
Reported deaths were 59, but a few of those were deaths due to diarrhea, and were not confirmed to be cholera.
I'm ready willing and able to help in Pastel (flight on hold) but hearing they will only accept MDs, RNs & Medics?? Are there enough of them to deal with this whole emergency when 1000's of lives on the line?? It's extremely hard to believe that with as many people in need in Pastel and surrounding areas that anyone would deny any MEDICAL help... During the origianl outbreak there were NUMEROUS non-medical and a ton of EMT's assisting. What is going on??? xoxoxoxo PS: I am seriously balling my eyes out & my heart is breaking not being able to help my friends and family in Haiti ♥♥♥♥
Posted by: HAITIismyHEART | 01/16/2012 at 10:14 AM