Received: Sunday, January 24, 2010 @ 21:50

To All,

The word has gotten out that we are here. The patient flow has begun from the French bringing in a load of patients from far away to us as well as the US Army transporting 6 patients via Huey helicopter to our doorsteps. I feel like the Mash series when you hear the helicopter coming and Radar O'Reiley announces their arrival. It is either feast or famine. The patients are now a week and a half out from their initial injuries and in need of secondary wound care and external fixation. The save and high point of the day was the treatment of a mother and daughter who came in from the main soccer field in the center of the city who had a pelvic fracture and was severely disabled. Her baby was also crushed at the time as well. Due to her mothers injuries, she was unable to care for her child. She came to the hospital and her child was near death due to dehydration. Were worked on both and we were able to dehydrate the baby and provide care for the mother. By the end of the day, both were doing better. See the picture attached of the baby undergoing treatment.

Today, I went to the tent hospital of Univ. of Miami at the airport in search of supplies and to evaluate treatment protocols. These people are doing a great job of first line treatment and have so much support but all of us are faced with supply line issues of support or lack of support. We need supplies, there are so many who want to help but cannot get it to where it needs to go. There are so many supplies that are on the tarmac at the airport that we do not know what is there. We could all use these supplies. I volunteered to go to the navy ship Comfort today but have not heard back. I hope that this message is getting out. You will see a picture of this as well.
I also reviewed a plastic surgery clinic that you will see a photo of the tent in the middle of the street that is the convalescent area but unlike or location one block away, they have nurses and food and comfort that our nice hospital does not provide. We are frustrated because we have the surgical expertise and were told that we were coming to a hospital that had infrastructure support but in fact it had none. I have been amazed by the lack of support by the Haitians who work at the hospital but am encouraged by the patients and their families that we have treated. I hope we have made a difference. At the end of the day today, you will see a picture of the French Military bringing a whole host of patients to our facility that need care. Some patients unfortunately beyond our capabilities. Again very frustrating.

Each day is a trip to the medical grocery store trying to find the supplies that we need and the frustrations of the lack of the supply chain to support those of us trying to help. We have an unbelievable team of expertise that is limited by the lack of supplies or the support of the local personnel.

Dr. Parsley