HAH Situation Update From Dr Nelson

CURE volunteer Dr. Jack Frankeny from Harrisburg, PA comforts an earthquake victim below prior to surgery.

Two recovering earthquake victims below share experiences.

Another week of challenge and accomplishment has come to an end. Again a big thank you to all of our supporters in the homeland that make these accomplishments possible and the challenges surmountable. I would like to share a few statistics from the last week to give our supporters a more accurate picture of the great things they are helping to accomplish and help to focus the efforts of incoming volunteers.

4-10 April 2010

• 71 total patients operated at HAH
• 34 Ortho/plastics reconstructive cases
• 26/34 ortho/plastics cases were for earthquake related trauma
• 8/34 cases were non quake related deformity and tumor cases
• 8/34 cases were children
• 165 outpatient ortho patients seen

Volunteer stats

• We had approximately 15 foreign volunteers last week on site
• We now have 56 volunteers
• This time next week we are expected to have 87 volunteers
• Our current volunteers hail from more than 11 states and 5 countries
• Current volunteer staff includes 5 medical students, 17 physicians/surgeons, 13 nurses, 4 physical therapists, amongst others

Yesterday

• Weather - 81 degrees F with heavy rains
• 1 aftershock
• 5 power failures
• 8 urgent orthopaedic cases, 1 C-section, and 1 laparotomy

13 y/0 girl above with a Taylor Spatial Frame placed for the treatment of a bowed leg.

 A new birth 9 April 2010.

The rooms and halls are filled with patients. More and more patients continue to be referred to our center for reconstructive surgery. Most are suffering the sequelae of severe earthquake related trauma and complications of early surgery performed under less than ideal circumstances.

Reintegration with Haitian staff continues. Those that visit our hospital from other organizations are always impressed by our combined staffing of Haitians and foreigners as many other institutions are completely operated either by one or the other. At times communication barriers and differences in work styles create challenges, however our common goal of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to our patients supersedes our differences. This creates a synergy, educational exchange, and sustainability that benefits our staff and patients.