Haiti emergency relief updates. 31st January 2010

31st January 2009

- Team 3: Pediatric in Port-au-prince under CECI supervision: Have now established a special pediatric unit in a large tent (safer for aftershocks and much of regular infrastructure destroyed) .  Dr Pargat Singh Bhurji and R.N. Kirby Picard
- Next phase under planning by Rose Charities, AMDA Canada. Dr Pargat Singh Bhurji, Dr Collin Yong, Dr Mike Seear and R.N. Martin Ward  (B.C's Children's Hospital) main advisors and organizers with Rose Charities / AMDA Emergency relief panel.
- Surgical team Gonaives (AMDA HQ organized) consisting of AMDA Columbia and AMDA Canada personnel finish their mission in next few days and be replaced by a fresh team (probably AMDA Nepal and/or AMDA Bolivia)

Rose Charities Cambodia Surgical Centre

Rose Charities Cambodia  Surgery Center  (RCCSC)  programs are in great demand. Burns, cleft lip and palate, land mine injuries, slow growing tumors and many other conditions are treated both by Cambodian and visiting expatriate teams.  Rose Charities founded their rehab surgery unit in 1998. The original  unit is properly integrated into the Cambodian health system at Chea Chumeas Hospital near Phnom Penh.  Rose Charities Canada and Cambodia suffered a major looting and vandalization of its projects in 2002 (local witnesses allege it was organized by a crooked expatriate)  but was able to recover though the generosity of donors from Canada, USA, UK, NZ, Australia and donors of many other countries. Sadly Rose Charities success has lead to many scams. In Hongkong  it is reported that funds are collected in some restaurants or bars under the Rose Charities name, though no funds are ever forwarded to our organization from these possibly fraudulent collections.

Please donate to real surgery for the poor of Cambodia by Rose Charities .  www.RoseCharities.Org  (or)  rosecharities.org.uk

R.N. Karla Dozzi returns from Haiti

R.N. Karla Dozzi returns from the first AMDA emergency medical team which arrived in Haiti some 5 days after the disaster.  Excellently coordinated by the Quebec  organization  CECI  the team worked at St Marc assisting with the high level or orthopaedic injury.  Cases included multiple crush and fracture injuries, both open and closed. Infection posed a very great problem and Karla was kept busy with a considerable amount of wound dressing.  The teams work work paved the way for a follow up team make up both of surgeons and nurses from Canada and Columbia  Karla is from Sudbury Ontario and currently works in Toronto.  Karla returned home shocked and saddened by the extend and severity of the cases she saw

Vancouver children's medical team to join Haiti effort

 Pediatrician Dr Pargat Singh Bhurji and R.N. Kirby Pickard depart for Haiti via Santo Domingo in the next 24 hours. Dr Bhurji was a pivotal member of the AMDA Canada / Rose Charities Sri Lanka 2004 Tsunami pediatric relief team from BC Childrens Hosptial. On this occasion the B.C.Childrens Hospital staff are also involved, with the main effort being directed by Dr's Collin Yong and Mike Seear both highly disaster / relief experienced international pediatricians. R.N. Martin Ward (B.C Children's Hospital) is already in Haiti, working with the AMDA Canada surgical team now in Gonaives. Kirby works at St Pauls Hospital, Vancouver.  R.N's Karla Dozzi (Sudbury an Toronto) and Kathleen Firth (Edmonton) are also currently on site

In Kalmunai Sri Lanka, Dr Pargat Bhurgi became a star with  local population by not only bringing superb pediatric skills, and warm personality  but also his ability to play cricket !  He is still asked after, regularly by those helped through the Rose Charities / AMDA Canada project there.

R.N.Kirby Pickard has experience in working in Honduras as well as being highly trained, including burns, fractures etc.

With the arrival of the pediatric team there will be three areas medically assisted by the cooperating team(s) of  AMDA Canada (through AMDA International), Rose Charities, and  CECI (who have proved huge logistical assistance and direction in Haiti); Port au Prince, Gonaives and Jimani (just across the border in the Domincan Republic)

AMDA International Haiti relief team to start work in second center

The Haiti relief team is to start operations at Gonaives, some 60km further north than St Marc.  This area has a large population of Spanish speakers, many ex Cuban.  AMDA Colombian volunteers clearly would be of great assistance in this area 

Injuries at St.Marc currently being seen include multiple fractures, dislocations, sprains and strains, intracranial injuries, internal injuries of chest, abdomen and pelvis, open wounds, broken skulls, burns, injuries to nerves, spinal cords and blood vessels.  Paraplegic conditions are also seen.  Pressure of demand at St Marc is taxing facilities to the limit.  The team has been assisting not just medically / surgically, but also in administration, patient records and patient organization.

B.C.Children's Hospital nurse Martin Ward and Kathleen Firth from Edmonton Alberta have now joined the team

AMDA Colombia team to join AMDA International team effort

A surgical team from AMDA Colombia is travelling to Domincan Rebublic (then on to Haiti) tomorrow 23rd January 2010 to join the AMDA International team effort. Two AMDA Canada surical nurses,  RN's Martin Ward and Kathleen Firth arrived today from Vancouver and Edmonton also to join the enlarging team.  Surgical volunteers from Bolivia and Nepal are standing by.  In Vancouver, a pediatric medical team supported by various groups including AMDA Canada, Rose Charities Canada and others is also in preparation consisting of Canadian pediatric experts from local hospitals including B.C Childrens Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital and others.  Expansion of the team work to other areas in addition to St Marc will be implemented very soon.

R.N Martin Ward of B.C. Children's Hospital, leaves for Haiti emergency surgical relief

B C Children's Hospital Nurse Martin Ward is heading for Haiti to join the AMDA Emergency Surgical team at St.Marc. Martin brings his hugely needed skills to the team who are working flat out under very demanding conditions.  Martin has worked on an AMDA team previously when they rushed to Aceh post tsunami 2005.  Rose Charities and AMDA Canada are supporting the AMDA relief efforts.