Haiti Mission Project
Loma Linda University School of Medicine Class of 2010
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Friends and Fuel Trucks – A Pictorial
Posted on January 25th, 2010 No commentsWe've had another set of remarkable days here at Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti. Arrivals, departures, and a drive across town in the daylight, have provided a few pictures that tell some of the story...
Chris Vannucci and Mike Fishell head home in the box truck, the 1st of the LLU team to leave. (not quite the luxury we flew down in)
The 1000 bed, 50 O.R. USS Comfort has arrived and is anchored in the bay off Port-au-Prince. We have been able to transfer several of our most critical patients to the ship.
Total collapse
Much needed fuel has arrived in Haiti.
Destruction
More destruction
Sugar cane for sale above the dump/river.(the cane was swarming with flys)
The beautiful Haitian children riding the bus.
My friend goes home. Dr. Nelson headed home to the Dominican for a few days of much needed rest but plans to return here to HAH this weekend.A quick note about our fund raising effort. While I do not have accurate figures to share, I understand that the LLU Haiti Relief fund is doing extremely well. Thank you all so much and please continue to give. The ongoing and long term needs of this facility are great and your monies will help this community immensely.Lastly, there are so many people and groups wanting to volunteer their time and skills here at HAH that we have had to setup a management group stateside simply to orchestrate the volunteer groups. We have asked that all volunteers or groups of volunteers wishing to serve here to please contact the LLU Global Health Institute prior to making travel plans. Haiti is going to need volunteer help for a very long time and we will need each of you at some point, just not all at once. Thanks. -
Sabbath at the Hopital
Posted on January 23rd, 2010 No commentsWe have had an amazing day here at Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti. Sabbath here was rather like a Sabbath at an Adventist campmeeting. Morning services were held and hymns (albeit slightly distorted) were broadcast over our sea of patients in their tents.
We were blessed with the arrival of Dr. Lew Zirkle of Sign foundation an innovator in orthopedic implants for the developing world. With Dr. Zirkle’s assistance and equipment the surgical team tackled our pending femur fracture patients.
Dr. Lew Zirkle and his assistant Jeanne Dillner
Fractured FemursWe were also excited to have the LLU Public Health Assessment team here at the hospital, with special thanks to the ongoing work of Dr. Ryan Sinclair on our water treatment system. This team is working feverishly to improve the emerging public health crisis at the Seventh-day Adventist university up the street from us where there are approximately 30,000 refugees camped out. (picture of the team in the post below)
Last but not least one of the highlights of the day was the arrival of a Field Operating Room from GlobalMedic of Canada. This inflatable structure combined with the field O.R. Equipment donated by the U.S. military last night, provides us a contingency plan should our in-hospital O.R.s be compromised by future seismic instability. This structure may also be used for a post-op ward at some point. (pictures of the new facility in the post below) -
Some pictures from the week
Posted on January 23rd, 2010 No comments
Wave two of the LLU team arrives (Dr. Chris Jobe far right)
An amputation patient in post op
Our new Sterilizer
Dr. Brad Walter provides post-op carefor an external fixation patient
A day in the O.R.
The U.N. Health cluster meeting
The 8:00AM ACTS volunteer meeting
The LLU Public Health Assessment TeamL - R Walleska Bliss, Dr. Ryan Sinclair, Jesse Bliss
Tiery Osais, Andrea Champlin
Dr. Duwayne Carlson and Dr. Scott Nelson insert a femur pin
Our new inflatable outdoor O.R. tent (thank you GlobalMedic)
A field O.R. kit in pelican cases courtesy of the US Armed Forces -
We are staying with our mission
Posted on January 22nd, 2010 No commentsThe executive team of Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti met late on Friday night to decide on a course of action for the hospital. We have had a number of mild to moderate aftershocks and earthquakes in our region and there is mixed information about an increase in seismic activity over the next 36 hours. After careful consideration it was decided to continue on our current course but for the safety of the patients we would move all of them outside the hospital. This actually only affected our pacu and post-op patients from today's late surgeries. These two services were offered in the south west wing of the hospital, the only area of the hospital that was determined by a qualified structural engineer as a potential hazard. Additionally it was recommended but not required that the staff sleep outside. We volunteered to serve these people and we're not going to abandon them in their time of need.
Moving the last of the patients out of the hospital just before midnight
I know I keep promising more pictures and I do have them but I've gotta go to bed. Maybe tomorrow... -
Aftershocks cause hospital officials to consider evacuation
Posted on January 22nd, 2010 No commentsJerry 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.
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Brief…
Posted on January 21st, 2010 No commentsSorry folks but I've got my fire hat on and I'm fighting wildfires...- 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
- Another big aftershock but we and the building are fine
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Pics from Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti
Posted on January 20th, 2010 No commentsMid-morning 1/20/2010The 6.1 aftershock this morning was very strong even for a California boy like me. A general assessment of the structure for any new damage seems to be very encouraging with only a few minor cracks. We then struggled with the generator power system for an hour or two trying to get it operational so that we could start operating. The "engineering" team assures us that one generator will continue to function without issue but the other generator is offline as we wait for parts and support.
Dr. Lesly Archer, Directeur Medical of Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti coordinating in front of the hospital (green scrubs 2nd from left)
There are more than 300 patients (and their families) waiting outside for surgery.
Drs. Tom Moyad, Lijun Wan, and Brad Walter externally fixate a fractured hip. -
Morning update
Posted on January 20th, 2010 No commentsBig aftershock 6.1 a little after 6AM. Structure still good at SDA hosp. Working to get power back on. Text only until we get power.
Awaken at 4AM by a chorus outside on the lawn singing "what a friend we have in Jesus" These people have amazing faith. -
At the Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti
Posted on January 19th, 2010 No comments1:45AM 1/20/2010
Today was a very busy day of travel & logistics. We have made it to the Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti. I can dispel all rumors... The hospital stands and is in remarkably good shape. I actually had to go searching for cracks. Let me tell you this place is a mighty fortress built on the solid rock. While the building is sound there is much work to be done. We were surprised to find a significant number of volunteer doctors and others from the states here organizing and performing triage. There are over 300 patients here on the grounds who need surgery 50 of them urgently.
Aftershock as I’m writing this, please keep us in your prayers. I’d guess it was about a 3.5
The 2 operating rooms are now functioning inside the hospital and they are still using the blue outdoor O.R. as well. Tomorrow we will do some assessment on how we might be able to convert several other rooms into O.R.s.
Haiti is quickly becoming a country of amputees and is going to need significant long term orthopedic care. I have great hope that we can start in that direction but I have a long laundry list of medical equipment I need down here right away in order to keep the amputations to a minimum. While some open fractures can be saved many are requiring amputation, remember we are at day 7 now. The hospital is running on diesel generator power and diesel is running in very short supply and thus very expensive down here. I don’t want to sound too down about our situation because like I said I do have hope but we really need to think long term about how we are going to help these people. We have a great facility here and an opportunity to help one of the most impoverished nations in the world but it is going to take some funding to keep this going. PLEASE if you can, donate to the LLU Haiti relief fund, these people need all the help we can give them right now and for the future.
I promise to post pics of Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti tomorrow, I just did not have light when I got here.
Good chance of a live webcast to the LLU chapel service tomorrow. -
A few quick pics
Posted on January 19th, 2010 No comments
We found Scott (Haglund, Nelson, Walter)
Heading to surgery
Twins in the neonatal unit
Pre-Op Prayer
In the News
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