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09th
Feburary 2010
FIRSTHAND
LOOK
M. G. George
 (Photo)
Carlene - a "fortunate"(?) Haiti Survivor
Caribbean
journalists this past week received a snapshot
of the conditions the people of Haiti face after
a lightening stop in the country Thursday morning
compliments the Sandals Foundation and American
Airlines.
Local Journalists joined their counterparts
from Antigua, an American medical team, and
employees of the airline on an American Airline
flight to Haiti in the delivery of much needed
supplies to earthquake victims in Port-au-Prince.
The trip, made possible through the philanthropic
arm of Sandals Resort International, was part
of several humanitarian relief flights emanating
from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Haiti made possible
by the Foundation.
With the flight crew given one hour to offload
its humanitarian relief cargo and then get out
of there to make way for other similar flights
coming in journalists had but a few minutes
to talk to the wounded, the homeless and whoever
they could get while on the ground.
A quick visit to a makeshift hospital run by
a University from Florida within four minutes
of walking from the plane served up enough for
the eye to see, opening up a window to the horror
of the devastation in Haiti that has left about
one million people homeless, almost a similar
number with no place of abode before the earthquake
struck on January 12.
The number of homeless people in Port-au-Prince
is almost reaching the two million mark, according
to Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive.
The Voice, in the early hours of Thursday morning
watched as the relief supplies were carted away
to be stacked alongside others piled in rows
for as far as the eye could see on one side
of the tarmac. The scene at 5:40a.m., Haitian
time on the airport was peaceful with a sense
of foreboding. The makeshift hospital nearby
was showing signs of life. A few Haitian men,
working as security guards were on hand and
quite willing to talk to reporters. American
soldiers in their camouflage wear were spotted
here and there. Without going into the nitty
gritty, the environment was all about what pertains
at a refugee camp.
After being warned about what one could photograph
and not photograph and being asked to respect
the privacies of the injured, reporters were
given a few minutes to talk to the injured.
The stories of hope, obstacles and triumphs
were basically the same, all drawing sadness
from the listeners.
Take for example the story of Carlene, who turned
15 this month. Lying on a cot under the huge
canvas tent that serves as the main part of
the hospital she said she was at home when the
small house she lived in with her mother and
other members of her family collapsed. She was
the only one who survived.
Her mother who sat next to her recalled that
a bigger structure collapsed on the house crushing
five of the six members of her family that was
in the house at the time. Carlene is suffering
with a swollen hand and a broken right foot,
but she is smiling clearly hoping to get out
of the hospital without any permanent limp.
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The next part of her mother’s
story is similar to those told by the few
adults The VOICE had the chance to speak to
in the few minutes reporters had on the ground.
“When I leave the hospital I have nowhere
to go. I go on the streets,” the mother
said.
Hyacinthe Gancetoute is also on the streets
after he leaves his job as a security guard
at the airport. According to him his house
was destroyed and he lost a child in the earthquake.
Then there was this young mother who still
has her twin boys with her yet she is deeply
worried. She told The VOICE that the shaking
threw her boys from off the bed onto the floor
where one of them cracked his skull. The boys
are four months old.
Doctor Tom Grogan who has been in the medical
field for over 30 years gave an insight into
the tragedy that is gripping Haiti after the
January 12 earthquake.
“I have been practising for over 30
years and I have never seen anything like
this,” He told The VOICE as the grey
of the morning disappeared under the brightening
rays of the sun Thursday.
“And I have learned more in the last
few days than I have given back,” Grogan
said.
He spoke of a continuing flow of patients
in and out of the hospital and staff having
to deal with what he called crushed injuries.
Bones, he said have to be re-aligned, amputations
have to be made, life threatening injuries
having to be dealt with, children lying around
having to return to the operating room for
further surgery every two days or so, etc.
“We are having a tough time. Everyday
patients are coming in, all infrastructure
of the country is gone, we have in essence
become a general hospital,” Grogan said.
“Yesterday a patient came in with a
ruptured appendix, a baby with pneumonia,
this is just a tip of the iceberg…,”
Grogan said.
Grogan said the hospital’s greatest
need right now is x-ray machines because they
are all breaking down.
“It’s very tough to do surgery
without x-ray machines. The other issue is
antibiotics,” Grogan said.
It was a rather quiet group that flew out
of Haiti shortly after seven in the morning
of Thursday after hearing the stories of the
injured and the homeless. With more than 300,000
Haitians injured and about 210,000 perishing
as a direct result of the 7.0 earthquake that
shook the country last month, (figures given
by the Haitian Prime Minister), and a capital
said to be completely destroyed and the government
there facing its biggest challenge to date-
that is providing shelter to the million and
more said to be homeless, the bare mountains
of the country that rose alongside the aircraft
seemed to have the same forlorn look on their
stony faces as the people they looked down
on from their majestic heights.
Haiti indeed needs our help.
Discuss
Story
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