Read our Haiti response press release
January 26, 2010: A Hope Force medical team of 19 personnel arrived in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic yesterday and plans to cross into Haiti shortly. Their destination is a Catholic seminary where a field hospital will be established to treat patients in the Leogane region.
Aid organizations are calling this area “Haiti’s Forgotten South” and report that there are villages rescue teams have not reached yet. Townspeople say as many as 500 nuns, priests and students were crushed to death when the Sainte Rose de Lima School collapsed in the earthquake.
The Hope Force team is co-lead by Kirk Dominic and Christine Thompson. From Santo Domingo, Christine reports: “We will travel with the US Embassy convoy to (the border town of) Jimani to meet our Haitian contact from Leogane, who will join our team and ride with us the rest of the way. I am especially excited that we are going to Leogane as it was the first place I served as a medical missionary almost 20 years ago! The entire missionary compound where I was, including the hospital, was wiped out. They were the same distance Port au Prince was to the epicenter of the quake – but in the other direction.
“We are hearing that there is great need there as most of the medical teams have been around Port-au-Prince and haven't reached Leogane yet. We will be one of the first teams in. A team member shared a vision she had of Jesus' hand directly on hers as she treated patients. We agree that this is the call and vision for our team.”
Kirk Dominic is a seasoned HFI Reservist and serves as US West Coast Liaison.
As Battalion Chief for the Costa Mesa Fire Department, Kirk brings a tremendous level of professionalism and organizational capabilities to our team on the ground. The remainder of the team is from Southern California, Nashville, Tennessee, and Gulfport, Mississippi.
Meanwhile, the number of survivors leaving Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince is increasing daily, according to a U.N. statement issued this weekend. According to the report, more than 130,000 people have taken advantage of the government's offer of free transportation to cities in the north and southwest. The assessment goes on to project: "The number of people leaving cities for rural areas could reach one million, putting pressure on already vulnerable communities."
It's been 14 days since the massive earthquake toppled buildings and buried countless victims in the worst natural disaster of the poor Caribbean nation's history. The Red Cross estimates three million people – a third of the country's population – need aid. Up to 200,000 have died.
Yesterday, the long-awaited Hope Force anesthesia machine was air-lifted from the United States and arrived at King’s Hospital in Port-au-Prince. This 600-lb piece of equipment will support Hope Force personnel fighting to save life and limb as more survivors arrive daily for treatment. Methods for transporting a second anesthesia machine, and $3 million of life-saving medical supplies, are being urgently sought.
According to Hope Force Sr. Vice President, Cherie Minton “We are partnering with World Relief and Medical Teams International at Kings Hospital in Port au Prince, Haiti. We are thankful for our partnership efforts that have paid off as we watch this piece of equipment arrive today. We are a key supply source for this Haitian hospital that is intact – a rarity after the earthquake. We are deeply grateful to Dr. Bennie and Dr. Jamison for making this happen as well as for their generous services for our common goal to serve the precious people of Haiti.”
Earlier reports from Haiti can be seen here:
