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A UK Registered Charity, working in partnership with Project HOPE (People-to-People Health Foundation Inc)

Registered Charity Number 1039457

Life, death and birth in Haiti – volunteer reflections

From all over the world people have come to Haiti in its great time of need, bringing health and possibilities.  However, some of the volunteers have found that it is their lives that are being changed as they bear witness to the resiliency of this nation and its people battered by years of poverty and the calamity of this great disaster.

The USNS Comfort has quickly neared capacity and is working closely with the government of Haiti, and other international organizations to optimise the utilisation of their considerable capabilities to benefit the sick and injured. Disease outbreaks in the cities and over 500 internal camps for displaced people are currently being managed.  With each patient comes a human interest story unique to their circumstances.  

Dr Larry Ronan and I were ashore assisting triage and coordinating transport to the Comfort. Many patients arrive in surges, some requiring the difficult decision over whether they can be treated if they are close to death, while others need urgent transfer to have further chance of life. The helicopter arrives, Dr. Ronan ventilating one patient with sepsis from gangrene on the leg, while I am attending to a pregnant patient with eclampsia and high fever near term in active labour. As we load the helicopter, the ventilated patient dies; Dr. Ronan and I continue to escort the soon-to-be mother on the flight to the ship for an emergency Caesarean. This morning the mother is rested, safe and happy in good hands and a new life is doing well. Although one died, one was saved and one was born through the collective efforts of many. Project HOPE and USNS Comfort prevail.
 

Dr. Harold Timboe, Project HOPE volunteer