Update from Sacre Coeur

I am sure many of you following this blog are increasingly concerned about the situation in Haiti. I have seen pictures of roadblocks and demonstrations in familiar areas of Cap. The state department sends daily updates, and I have also been communicating with Daven, the expat that I wrote about in September. He is working to ensure the safety of his workers against disease and the unrest. I am in awe of his commitment.

This morning, I received the following update from Dr. Peter Kelly, executive director. I am sharing it with you ver batem:

NOVEMBER 17, 2010
It's been a while since my last update about the situation at Hôpital Sacré Coeur. As most of you know we have discharged almost all of our earthquake patients and have approximately 10 waiting for prosthetic limbs.
Just as we were starting to implement some overdue renovations and outline our long term expansion plans we had the cholera outbreak. Immediately our hospital administration developed an emergency plan to handle 1,000 cholera patients and our community health department started teaching prevention in the surrounding areas. Other NGO's also collaborated with the Ministry of Health in implementing an extensive outreach program to contain the cholera. It was an impressive example of collaboration that did not exist before the earthquake. It was containing the cholera outbreak until the hurricane last week.
Once the hurricane hit the outbreak became an epidemic and has now reached Cap Haitïen and Milot. We have received over 100 patients over the past week and are expecting at least 1,000 more patients. Initially we were able to provide the care needed but then another catastrophe struck: FEAR. The people in Cap Haitïen blamed the UN for the cholera outbreak thanks to a news report and the people of Milot wanted to stop Hôpital Sacré Coeur from treating patients outside of Milot because they thought it would bring cholera to their community. Both fears are understandable but not based on fact.
We had 18 volunteers at our hospital and to insure their safety we had confined them to our gated compound for the past 24 hours. Once our administration spoke to the demonstrators it became obvious that the volunteers and staff were not in danger. They have resumed helping in the care of the cholera patients.
In any uncertain situation it is normal to fear for your own safety especially if you have never been to Haiti or Hôpital Sacré Coeur. There was a small group of first time volunteers who became very concerned about their ability to leave Haiti. They left our compound against our advice and thankfully were able to make it to the DR safely. The message we tried to convey to all volunteers was that the safest place in Haiti is Milot. The only danger exists on the roads to Cap Haitïen and in Cap Haitïen.
The reason I am mentioning this problem is that you may hear some negative reports about safety in Milot. Also I want to make other volunteers aware that we cannot always control their ability to leave Haiti. But I want to emphasize that we can control their safety!
At this time we have approximately 50 patients with cholera, 35 severely ill and 26 children. We are running low on supplies because of the road blocks and closed airport. For the same reasons we are now receiving patients that are near death because they couldn't get through the road blocks. We have over 30 volunteers willing to come and help but can't get to Haiti.
Our staff is operating on a skeleton crew because those in Cap Haitïen can't get through the road blocks so we are in desperate need for volunteers to help them and supplies. We are doing everything we can to try and find other ways to get supplies and volunteers
I want to end with a story about determination. Our medical director Harold Previl was at our board meeting in NYC. On his return to Haiti he landed in Port au Prince and heard about the unrest. He left his car in Port au Prince and road a motor bike to Milot because it was easier to get by roadblocks. He had to pass through 18 road blocks to get back to Milot 12 hours later. Another worry he had to deal with was that his daughters who attend school in Cap Haitïen had arrived in Cap Monday morning before the violence but were stranded in Cap Haitïen. Can you imagine what he must have been feeling and fearing? Thank God we have such wonderful and dedicated Haitian staff to guide our hospital. Please keep all of them in your prayers. Peter
Peter J. Kelly, M.D.
President

Please keep everyone in your thoughts. We will prevail.

Harry