Summit from Jared Nikkels

Here is a quick update on what I know at this time.

Greg Bennett's CCH team left yesterday after cleaning up many of our tough ortho cases and handling and releasing many patients. They were able perform surgery on most earthquake cases that needed it and started in on cases that were here prior to the earthquake. The team came with about 3500 pounds of medical supplies.

Project Haiti's team arrived by truck after a long trip last Saturday. They came with 15 people. Six of the team members came to help organize supplies and have left. We have Dr. Fogarty and his team that continue to operate. Their team brought approximately 11000 pounds of supplies.

We also have two orthopedic surgeons from the Rotary Club staying here and working with the doctors from Project Haiti.

The hope is to rotate teams with a couple days of overlap so they can have continuity of care.

We have been feeding all patients since the earthquake with money received from PFH and now we have started preparing two hundred meals each day for all patients and their families. We have also been able to feed much of the staff here at the hospital. We prepared a varied menu including meat each day and will continue to work on tweaking the nutrition to support proper healing. Caleb Lucien has also been supplementing our program and is bringing an afternoon meal for patients and families. We have also started giving purified water twice a day to patients and families in the hospital.

The Rotary Club and Caleb Lucien were able to get us a cast saw on Wednesday and that was a tremendous help. Lorrie Beauchamp Berg has also shipped a cast saw and that will be a great back up especially with all the casting going on right now.

We received the autoclave via Coast Guard Helicopter and it is working now allowing us to sterilize more and larger instruments.

We are still looking to accept patient’s especially surgical patients. I spoke with Will White from MAF this morning and he was going to try to fly some surgical patients up here today. Jim Scheller's employer, Arkel Int'l is willing to pay for some of those flights. MAF has been a tremendous blessing.

We are currently working on organizing supplies and are working on a centralized inventory system. Stacey and hospital staff has been working to keep up with the influx of supplies.

I apologize for the lack of communication. Our Internet has failed and the Internet at the hospital is off and on. We will keep working together and try to keep everyone updated when possible. Thanks to everyone for the concern and all the hard work. Please forward this to anyone I missed. God Bless

Message from Dr Batsch

Dear all,
on behalf of thousand victims of the tragedy of the Earth quake received in Pignon for whom most of you were and are still available to help, and on behalf of the administrative staff ,I say thank you for this surgical week passed at Hopital Bienfaisance de Pignon as a trauma center.

For this week the challenge was great and it will be the same for more weeks to come.Many surgeries have been performed,many hopeless people got hope,many starving victims and some members of their families got something to eat, and finally many homeless found an area to sleep in Hopital Bienfaisance de Pignon.Those actions were possible because of your quick response to the needy people here.

In testimony of our gratitude,we send you some pictures of the activities inside the hospital during this week.

Find in attachment the pictures...

Looking forward to welcoming you again
Gratefully ...

Dr Batsch update

Dear All,
Three days ago, in Hopital Bienfaisance de Pignon, we started operating as a trauma center taking care of victims of the earth quake,doing surgery (6 cases a day) for broken legs, broken arms, chest trauma with hemo pneumo thorax etc. I'm pleased to send you some pictures for your information and promised to keep you informed on a regular basis as we continue to receive and to take care of the victims.

We already received more thand 100 victims from whom 57 were admitted and 18 surgeries performed.

Followin are some pictures of the activities.

Thanks for your help and for your inestimable support.
Gratefully,

Dr. Batsch