Logistics of Treating Thousands
February 2, 2010
We often use the Creole proverb, "With many hands, the load is not heavy." Today, I want to show you the logistics of just how the "many hands" are caring for 1,000's of wounded and homeless people. You can be so proud of how your donation, large or small, is being used to help the Haitian earthquake victims...
You may remember the first day, without warning, a helicopter landed right here on our property.
Some high rollers from the Dominican Republic came running toward me and wanted to meet with us. They began creating a plan as to how our property will be used for a hospital and recovery area for the earthquake victims.
If you are a new to Love A Child, you may not realize just how close to the Dominican border we are. It makes perfect sense for helicopters from the DR to fly doctors, nurses, supplies and patients in and out of the Love A Child property.
Below, General Pena Antonio, Chief of Armed Forces in the Dominican Republic, with Bobby and me.
He was one of the main contacts who first communicated with us about the DR's vision of partnering with Love A Child. Once we gave the "okay" for our land to be used, things really started moving quickly.
First on the scene were Dr. Hilarie Cranmer and Dr. Stephanie Rosborough, both from Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. Dr. Hilarie is the brains behind the entire operation, and she quickly began putting things in place to create a hospital on the LAC land.
Above from left to right: Dr. Stephanie Rosborough and Dr. Hilarie Cranmer from Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
The vision, created and lead by the Dominican Republic government, partnering with Love A Child and our partners, quickly grew as many other organizations began coming together to lend a helping hand. We want to thank all those organizations who are instrumental in lending hands to create the Love A Child Earthquake Relief Center. We are so thankful for the Dominican Republic, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Joyce Meyer Ministries - Hand of Hope, Jentezen Franklin - Kingdom Connection, Richard W. Hotes Foundation, Feed My Starving Children, World Vision, Partners in Health, American Refugee Committee, Pan American Health Organization, UNICEF, World Health Organization, Operation Smile, Operation Blessing, University of Chicago, Cooper University Hospital, Medical Missions, Government of Mexico and others. Without all of these organizations working together, the Love A Child Earthquake Relief Center would not be possible.
Patients coming...
Even with the hundreds of volunteers and all the wonderful donations of equipment and supplies we have received, we are still doing medical care in the trenches! As you can see in the photo below, sometimes, the old-fashioned, hands-on way is the best way.
They continue to arrive by bus, truck, on foot...
...and even by ambulance.
Triage area...
As soon as the patients are unloaded, they are taken to triage, (the process of sorting victims) where we determine how severely they are injured. The worst ones are taken to pre-op to be prepared for surgery.
In triage and recovery, family members often arrive to search for their relatives. If they are fortunate, they will find their kinfolk, and stay to care for the patient after surgery. Otherwise, we must continue to see after the injured during his or her recovery period. It is overwhelming...
In another photo from the triage area, you can see that the medical staff treats as many injured as they can, without taking them into surgery. That is the purpose of a triage area, every person is evaluated and "the worst are treated first."
Surgery areas...
Some are taken directly to surgery in one of the units below.
There is a small office and one very small operating room where the doctors and nurses crowd together to save another life.
Another sugery center is located in one of our school building classrooms. The operating room below is run by Operation Smile who brought all the doctors, nurses, tools and supplies necessary to perform surgeries on the earthquake victims.
They even set up an area right outside the operating room (classroom) to clean all of the surgical tools. Below, Ami, one of the volunteers, is busy cleaning the surgical instruments to prepare for the next surgery.
Pre Op / Post Op Tent...
After undergoing surgery, the patients are taken back to the Pre-Op/Post-Op Tent...
Here the patient rests while the anethesia wears off and the medical team can keep an eye on him or her before returning them to their tent.
Below, This family is so lucky to be here together following this little boy's operation. He is afraid...but thousands of families are separated, and many small children and old people are here all alone.
In fact, they are fortunate to be here at all...so many thousands of poor, injured Haitian people are suffering with no medical care.
Thanks to our partners like you, the Dominican Republic, Joyce Meyer Ministries - Hand of Hope who donated X-ray equipment, and many others, the people who arrive at the Love A Child Earthquake Relief Center are receiving some of the best care available.
(Pictured above from left to right: Rad, from the LAC office trains our staff on how to use the x-ray equipment, Miriam, a LAC nurse at the Jesus Healing Center and Dr. David Fuller from Camden, NJ)
We are thankful to be able to have the x-ray results immediately. This helps the medical staff provide the proper treatment right away.
The Logistics of Supplies...
Just how do we keep all of the bandages, gauze, ointments and antibiotics organized for this many wounded people? It is a huge job, but we have wonderful volunteers and nurses who have worked so hard to make pharmacy supply areas in our classrooms of our school building. The amount of supplies we need to care for patients is unbelievable!
Supplies...
More Supplies...
And even more supplies...
Recovery...
After surgery, or treatment in triage or our clinic, patients recover in a near by tent. There are many, many rows of tents.
Doctors and nurses monitor the patients for signs of infection and other problems.
There are five to six patients living in one of these tents. There are nurses on duty, caring for the patients, but the ratio between nurse and patient makes it very challenging.
Once the patient doesn't require medical care three or four times a day, he or she will leave this recovery tent area, and go to "Camp Hope" that is set up on our land adjacent to LAC Village. The American Refugee Committee, partnering with Love A Child, is creating a new beginning for these families. These poor people have no where else to go! We will tell you more about Camp Hope in a future journal.
Thank you...
Bobby and I are so grateful for each one of you. I hope this journal helps you to make sense out of what is going on here at the Love A Child Village. Special thanks to AmeriCares for their generous donations of medicines. Everything has changed so much since the earthquake...
The needs here are great. Please pray about your role in helping the earthquake victims. If you would like to donate to the Earthquake Relief Fund, please click on the red button below and donate now.
Your gift, large or small, will be such a blessing. Please help the earthquake victims today. We need you!
