In the News
Dear Friends,
Three back-to-back tropical storms have battered relentlessly the country of Haiti, especially along its exposed coastlines. Here at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) Haiti, the high mountain ranges on either side of the Artibonite Valley protected the hospital from direct damage, but the torrential rains caused substantial erosion in the mountain communities.
We are responding to the needs of our neighboring districts which were directly impacted by the winds and rains. The hospital is full with patients from our district, and some from Gonaives, which suffered high casualty rates from the hurricanes.
While several of our physicians and staff members are trapped in Port-au-Prince, in Deschapelles we continue to care for our patients. In addition, we are able to provide help to the hospital in St. Marc and supply anti-tetanus serum to thefirst responders in Gonaives.
Our immediate challenges result from being isolated due to the storm damage. Over the weekend, the bridge in Mirebalais and the one in Cabaret collapsed. These downed bridges block all the routes into Deschapelles and prevent access of needed medical supplies such as oxygen, and fuel to run the campus generators. The hospital is running on an "essential energy plan" to make the most of its remaining fuel.
One of the long-range impacts will be an increase in diseases such as pneumonia and gastroenteritis as well as an increase in typhoid and other water-borne illnesses. Floods along the Artibonite Valley have damaged the rice fields on top of other stable crops lost earlier this year. This will result in higher rates of malnutrition, which leaves children and adults more susceptible to tuberculosis and other infections.
Within HAS' district, the reforestation project (HTRIP) was successful in that the trees and terraces held during the rain storms. There was some loss to the trees planted this year, but the more mature two- and three-year old ones held strong, protecting these fields from erosion and stabilizing the upper watersheds.
For us, these hurricanes brought more hardship to our community where life is already a daily struggle. With your support, we will be able to meet these challenges and continue to support the great needs of the people of the Artibonite Valley.
Sincerely,
Venkita Suresh, MD
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