Thank you for keeping all this in perspective, and reminding us to do the same. Partners in Health would be my strong recommendation as the most effective organization to which to donate--they've been building medical infrastructure in Haiti for years upon years, and have the local contacts and resources to take action immediately.
From their update page:
"We have already begun to implement a two-part strategy to address the immediate need for emergency medical care in Port-au-Prince. First, we are organizing the logistics to get the medical staff and supplies needed for setting up field hospital sites in Port-au-Prince where we can triage patients, provide emergency care, and send those who need surgery or more complex treatment to our functioning hospitals and surgical facilities. To do this, we are creating a supply chain through the Dominican Republic. Second, we are ensuring that our facilities in the Central Plateau are ready to serve the flow of patients from Port-au-Prince. Operating and procedure rooms are staffed, supplied, and equipped for surgeries and we have converted a church in Cange into a large triage area. Already our sites in Cange and Hinche are reporting a steady flow of people coming with medical needs from the capital city. In the days that come we will need to make sure our pharmacies and supplies stay stocked and our staff continue to be able to respond."
They're draining every spare dollar they have, calling in every favor, doing whatever they have to in order to get as many surgeons, ER doctors and nurses, full surgical teams, etc. and medical supplies on the ground now. For all of you reading through these comments, keep in mind that every bit of financial assistance goes a long way- $5, $10, $50, $100--whatever you can afford.
no subject
From their update page:
"We have already begun to implement a two-part strategy to address the immediate need for emergency medical care in Port-au-Prince. First, we are organizing the logistics to get the medical staff and supplies needed for setting up field hospital sites in Port-au-Prince where we can triage patients, provide emergency care, and send those who need surgery or more complex treatment to our functioning hospitals and surgical facilities. To do this, we are creating a supply chain through the Dominican Republic. Second, we are ensuring that our facilities in the Central Plateau are ready to serve the flow of patients from Port-au-Prince. Operating and procedure rooms are staffed, supplied, and equipped for surgeries and we have converted a church in Cange into a large triage area. Already our sites in Cange and Hinche are reporting a steady flow of people coming with medical needs from the capital city. In the days that come we will need to make sure our pharmacies and supplies stay stocked and our staff continue to be able to respond."
They're draining every spare dollar they have, calling in every favor, doing whatever they have to in order to get as many surgeons, ER doctors and nurses, full surgical teams, etc. and medical supplies on the ground now. For all of you reading through these comments, keep in mind that every bit of financial assistance goes a long way- $5, $10, $50, $100--whatever you can afford.