From the Ground in Haiti

For those of you who don't know, my husband, Chris, is currently in Haiti working with Partners In Health and other relief volunteers. They are doing great things. Here are a few of the updates I've received:

Day One:
Already reopened a hospital via structural assessment
- 32 bed facility in which they could squeeze 100. Hooked up with UN
engineers, US Army guys, and a crazy field hospital with over 120
patients needing immediate surgery - working on finding ORs, then beds
for them at established facilities. Will be coordinating initial
building assessment teams in PAP to reopen or condemn more hospitals,
then govt' and UN buildings to get them back in action for more
coordinated response.

Day Two:
Yesterday was difficult, but there is more positive than negative, so we're making stuff happen....staying in PAP ... we have control of the Central hosp in downtown, just up from the Pres. Palace. [we are] helping restore the facility and helping w/ organization of building assessment teams. we are making progress, but things are
challenging. main energies are life saving efforts. problem: many orthopedic cases, open fractures. we have ortho surgeons, no ORs. a few places are operational, but over capacity. we have teams in central plateau waiting for patients, trying to line up transport. otherwise, helping PIH reestablish central hospital in downtown and working with UN/Ministry of Public Work doing building assessments to open more hospitals, then gov''t/NGO offices to restore communication. coordinated efforts very difficult b/c on-ground com systems sporadic. email best mode, but few have hand helds, so we email w/ boston who then coms back to people here.
i am safe and with wonderful people. its tough, put we're making things happen.

Day Three:
I'm safe...but busy.