Time for another short update. This will build on the previous dispatches,
and will mostly reference the changes, without describing all the
background.
Today is something like AQ+25. While the situation is still desperate, we
do see some changes for the better.
Medical: The field hospital system is pretty much up and running. From our
contacts with the various groups, it looks like many of the original
personnel have rotated out and new ones come to take their place, bringing
in new stamina and enthusiasm. All the personnel I talk to are unanimous in
this one thing - there are still patients coming in to every medical center
that have not yet seen a doctor since the quake! The CDR has nurses working
in a local hospital. Yesterday a lady walked in with a compound ankle
fracture. How somebody could survive, work, live, and walk in to the local
facility with such an injury is beyond imagination. Of course many of the
wounds are septic, gangreneous, or just plain rotten.
The black skin is without pigment when it regrows, so healing wounds are
easy to ID. There are many walking around with casts and bandages, but we
are starting to see the light colored skin of healing wounds.
The hospitals are having trouble keeping supplies in stock, especially the
small local ones. We found out recently that a local hospital was
discharging patients in paper hospital gowns. Many of these patients really
have no were to go, and many need to come back for follow up care, so the
areas around the hospitals are turning into refugee camps.
Aid: We still see cargo planes in the air constantly, and land convoys
coming in from the DR. There have been a number of large food handouts
organized and executed under heavy military presence. I have no idea what
percentage of the population is getting aid, but I would think it is
significant. I'm understanding that some of the giveaways are being set up
for regular weekly operations. I have asked about food pricing, but do not
know if prices are falling yet. We have been handing out some food on a
small scale basis to neighbors and acquaintances.
Canyon: We spent a day in the canyon this week. I spent it surveying, and
Loren dug down and found the old dam. We have now done about all prep work
we can do until our ship comes in. Well, actually the ship is in, now we
need to get our stuff through customs. We spent today at the port in
Miragoane, a 3 hour drive each way, and made some real headways. I'm hoping
we will have them in hand next week.
CDR: We have been working on setting up their camp, so they can bring in
their workers. The HQ is ready to move in, so the workers that have been at
the local motel will be there from now on.
We have obtained permission from several landowners to put up tents on
their land - in one owner's case - if he gets one too. I started surveying
the one for drainage and layout planning; these will need to be completed
soon.
Almost daily we see the tent cities growing. Many of them were pretty
helter skelter, but now we are seeing more organization. They are still
just whatever they can find for covering stretched over whatever they can
find for poles. Some aid and military groups are handing out tarps, and the
trees in the local parks are taking a real beating from pole gatherers.
Orphans: I am sure there are large numbers of orphans, but we really hav
seen many. The local hospital was expecting to receive a large number, but
to my knowledge they haven't arrived. One day this week we were at a
medical triage site. The medical director asked us if we were from the
orphanage. We reply "Well, kind of". He showed us a little boy that was
supposedly going to go there, but his birth certificate was supposed to be
presented at the same time. The birth certificate was a day and a half's
bus ride away, and they couldn't afford the travel costs to go get it.
After a quick call to Virgil to confirm the story, we paid the costs so
that somebody could go get the boy's certificate, and he could get to the
orphanage. He is supposed to get there tonight.
Economy: Every time we go through PAP, we see a few more businesses open.
People are starting to repair buildings. Unfortunately they are using the
exact same techniques that made the first ones fall. Any phase of building
trades seems to be at full speed. Employment really hasn't picked up,
except for those who can interpret. There is a huge market for those who
can interpret for all the aid/medical groups.
The ladies have promised us a full blown Sunday dinner for tomorrow, roast
beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, and all the rest.
My sign-off prayer remains the same. Please continue to pray for us that
we may accept the things we cannot change, the courage, energy, supplies,
equipment, knowledge, and security to tackle the things we can change, and
the wisdom to know the difference.
Kevin Bronson
Fond Parisien, Haiti
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
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