Journal of the Plague Year

There is very little time to write or report, but this is in response to the many who had asked for an update.  Stef is on the ground in Port-Au-Prince. Cholera patients who contracted the disease locally are now showing up at Bernard Mevs / Project Medishare Hospital.  There are unconfirmed reports of at least 140 cases in or adjacent to Port-Au-Prince, and we have confirmed reports of cases in the earthquake camps.

It is clear that there is political interference so both the death toll and the number of cases is being under-reported by at least a factor of 4 or 5.

She went up north yesterday to one of the very many improvised Cholera Treatment Centers (CTCs).   This is not her report, but it is sadly representative of conditionson the ground:

On Nov 10, 2010, at 1:56 PM, Tiffany Keenan wrote:



From partners in the north....



I made a visit to both Limbe hospitals yesterday and brought more supplies to Bord de Mer Limbe clinic (Haiti Village Health) where I ended up staying night due to huge volumes of rain and assisting with cholera patients here. Even with the rain (likely causing many to never make it) clinic is seeing 5-10 patients a day. 6 to the hospital this morning one of whom died. Late last night we were at (Hospital) Bon Samaritan which is overflowing with patients. We talked with Shawn (Hodges) who said the last two days had been crazy and they were hoping to set up a second tent today to accommodate increased patient load.

The situation at the other limbe hospital (Government hospital St Jean) was worse. We brought a patient there only to discover that a huge tent and building full of patients was being attended by noone. There was no doctor or nurse present, dry IV bags, and when we asked how a doctor could be reached noone really knew. All patients from the clinic are now being routed to Bon Samaritan after stabilization with IV or oral fluid and the hospital has said to send them along no problem.

Personal contact....

also had another report from Clinic Ebenezer who said they were overrun with patients and on their last box of saline. Staff have been overwhelmed and they are looking for nurses.

Personal contact from Cap....

I think that things are not great at the hospital (St Michel) or at the gymnasium where they are putting the suspect cholera cases. I had thought that MSF was all set up, but they still won’t be for a couple of days apparently. There have been a number of deaths in the community around FSM (Fort st michel), and I understand people don’t want to stay at the gymnasium. I also understand that they are treating people at Milot. I have been in touch with people from the Baptist Convention Hospital in Quatier Morin, about possibly opening a ward there.

I have been speaking with contacts in PAP and they are hoping to send more supplies and staffing but many more are needed, as you can see how the spread is happening.