Update from the Ground in Haiti: Day 9

I finally received a phone call from Chris today. This is the first actual call he's been able to make and as you can imagine, hearing his voice was an incredible relief. He sounded good -- tired but upbeat. He is currently traveling to outlying regions of Port-au-Prince, including Boucan Carre, St. Marc and Cange. His team has been tasked with structural assessment of PIH clinics, as well as establishing emergency care capabilities as more and more patients are being moved out of the city into these outlying clinics. The needs are immense, but progress is being made.

As for the current conditions in Port-au-Prince, they remain dire. The general hospital has faced setback after setback as aftershocks and tremors continue to wreak havoc on the psychology and physical capabilities of patients and workers alike. Chris said no one sleeps inside. People are scared. They fear collapse of compromised structures and are simply traumatized by the ongoing chaos. However, he says that everyday, it gets a little better. Despite a continued flood of patients, more and more OR facilities are being opened and doctors are now operating around the clock. In the yard of the general hospital, as many as a thousand untreated patients wait, but the tireless efforts of doctors, nurses and trained first responders is paying off.

He described a number of scenes to me that I find hard to comprehend. But in each of these snapshots of disaster, he told of a doctor who stepped in with the exact skill needed to save a life. An elderly woman in shock, a young woman with a crushed skull, a young mother with a vaginal hemorrhage -- all were treated immediately by doctors who are going beyond the call of duty...or perhaps just stepping up to it.

In addition to the doctors and other medical personnel, Chris continues to sing the praises of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the 82nd Airborne, the UN officials and peacekeepers and the Haitian people he has been working with for over a week now. He said the community created by these men and women is exceptional. Army personnel have begun to set up tent cities and are continuously seeking additional tents to house the displaced people of P-a-P. Most people have been sleeping under sheet, tarps, cardboard or corrugated tin. But with the arrival of army tents and other weather-proof structures, they will at least have protection from the elements.

As for the Haitian people themselves, I can only offer a quote from Chris: "To call the people of Haiti 'strong' is patronizing. This word doesn't begin to describe it." He said everyone, doctors, volunteers and Haitians alike, has come together with a synchronicity that inspires him daily.

It seems silly to be worried about where he was sleeping or whether he had anything to eat at a time like this, but being as that I've had no idea for days, it was good to hear that he has been staying with his colleagues Jim and Mark, as well as Dr. David Walton and Dr. Evan Lyons, both PIH doctors. They have been housed by the godmother of a PIH staff member and he said her generosity has been incredible.

Our call got cut off three different times, but I did get to ask what he wanted people here to know. And so I will close with his words for all of you: "I have images in my head that will haunt me forever, but everyday it gets better. We're saving lives everyday, but everyone is working together to make it happen. I am hopeful."

Lespwa. The Haitian Kreyol word for "hope." May it be the thing that pulls them through.