Haiti - The Tdh health teams continue to bring emergency

Several teams of doctors have now finally arrived in the south of Haiti with boxes of medicines. Surgery could be carried out, although there is still a great shortage of medical supplies and of nurses to ensure post-operational treatment and care. The Terre des hommes team also continues to support the management of the general hospital of Les Cayes. The various medical services and nursing personnel shifts as well as the repartition of the injured have been reorganised so as to ensure better coordination of medical aid. Additionally, a regular assessment of material and human resources has been put in place.
Thanks to the support of Terre des hommes, 40 casualties have been transferred to the Brenda Clinic, that is to the pavilions made available by Terre des hommes in the compound of the clinic, freeing beds for the more serious cases. These proceedings ease congestion in the surgical wards of the hospital and guarantee better care for the injured.
Six Tdh auxiliaries are on the spot the whole time to coordinate the transfer of casualties and to give treatment when the medical staff is not available. They are also an important link between the patients and the doctors of the various hospital centres as they are always alert to the needs of the patients. Terre des hommes has been working for 20 years with health and nutrition programmes in the south of Haiti. Following the earthquake, the food situation here runs the risk of being seriously aggravated.
Parallel to the emergency aid, the health and nutrition teams of Terre des hommes are already considering the best way to respond to the food requirements which will result from this disaster.