Aftershocks cause hospital officials to consider evacuation

Jerry Daly, Assistant Vice President for Global Outreach at Loma Linda University, spoke with Andrew Haglund this afternoon. He asked that we update the blog on his behalf while he is occupied at Hopital Adventiste d'Haiti. Daly states:

"I just spoke with Andrew Haglund, LLU's logistical person on the ground and was informed that the recent earthquake revealed further structural damage to the hospital. Based on the geological assessments we have received Andrew is working with the US Military to evacuate the hospital. This may change significantly where we work so right now we are asking those interested to standby while we try to understand what is happening at the hospital. We may be moving to a field hospital set up in a completely different location."

The situation remains dynamic and he is exploring options for a possible evacuation of the hospital. Apparently there are conflicting reports regarding the geological assessment so they are taking a precautionary approach and may move some patients and staff outside.

This situation at the hospital will continue to change, but at this point they are not moving out to another facility just yet. It is very difficult to communicate in the city and it is likely that the situation will shift or change in the coming hours.

Thank you everyone for keeping our folks in Haiti in your prayers.

Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti Needs Your Support!!!

Loma Linda University has established a fund to facilitate donations to the Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti. The hospital is in need of many resources in order to function around-the-clock during this critical period. Donations may be made as follows:

• On-line: support Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti
• Telephone: (909) 558-5010
• Mail checks: Loma Linda University – Haiti Earthquake Office of Philanthropy
  24519 Redlands Boulevard, Suite A
  Loma Linda, CA 92354

Loma Linda wishes to thank all who are taking time to remember in prayer the desperate needs of the people of Haiti. We hope that many will be motivated to provide the means through which needed health care can be sustained at this time.

Haiti Update – Supplies

Dear Friends,

Fantastic news, the autoclave that Howie Guan and Patrick Hu drove down to San Francisco arrived to our hospital in Haiti today! I received a message from Joe Kim asking how to set it up when I was on rounds! I had Jerry Daly email him instructions…. they subsequently installed it and it works!!!! They also praised God for the granola bars that classmates David Penner and Oliver packed inside! Praise God! One hundred thousand dollars has been raised for our hospital’s Earthquake fund, but more is needed! Why? Because we are paying the gas for the generator, and likely no patients are paying for treatment right now… and we are running 3 Operating rooms… and patients are still waiting for much needed treatments. I was looking at the audit of books we did while at the hospital and it takes roughly one million dollars to run the hospital for a year. Likely our fund raising for the acute needs, along with all the materials we will be bringing in will bridge the gap until Haitians can start to work again and help pay for their treatment. About two thirds of the money usually came from patients with insurance, which the minority of patients had, however I am sure no one will be making insurance claims any time soon. The supplies we itemized from Marc, Christine and Sarah’s public health assessment that we made a year ago are being brought into our hospital at a record rate! We are currently looking to acquire a good C-Arm for orthopedic cases (it is a machine that has a rotating X-ray for intra-op adjustments) along with 2 quality anesthesia machines. Let me know if you have ascertained these tools for donation, some students are taking on this challenge to find these expensive but essential things. Currently they are trying to open up a 4th OR. Likely one of the OR’s will have to be expanded as soon as we can get a C-Arm into the hospital for some serious ortho procedures. One more thing, the generator was having some issues but they have gotten both functional. There has been talk about moving them out of under the building structure, and possibly bringing in another generator for back up.
There have been continued smaller earthquakes (a 6.1 today and a 6 a few days ago) but the hospital is sound other then some new small cracks.
Also of interest some of the American volunteers were woken up this morning at 4AM by “What a friend we have in Jesus”… despite all the hardship those living still praise God.

Continue to pray for these things:
1. That more money will continue to be raised for the hospital earthquake fund
2. For the safety of the teams over there, especially our classmate Joe Kim, in terms of being overworked, poor sanitary conditions, and ongoing earthquakes
3. That the materials we boxed up today will arrive there safely
4. That we can get a C-Arm and anesthesia machines moved into the hospital
5. That those who are stealing medical supplies, food and water and selling them on the Haitian black market would get caught (I heard from my Haitian friend that this is a big deal right now!)
6. Pray for unity among those working on the ground in Haiti and in the US

For more updates follow posts being made from Haiti at: http://lluinhaiti.blogspot.com/

Sincerely,
David Puder

Brief…

• Another big aftershock but we and the building are fine
  
• The 2nd team from LLU is here in Haiti and in route to our hospital
• The 2nd generator is being repaired
• The sterilizer arrived and is being installed  UPDATE: IT WORKS!!!!
  
• Trying to open a 4th O.R. room
  
• and we are still saving more people than we are losing

Pics from Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti

Morning update

At the Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti

A few quick pics

We Made it!

Wheels up at 0800 1/19