More messages from the field, 1/16

PIH Executive Director Ophelia Dahl posts from Boston:

Over the past 24 hours, with communication partially restored in Port-au-Prince, we have been able to coordinate strategy, challenges, and needs efficiently and effectively with our medical and logistics teams on the ground in Haiti. With supplies delivered and initial surgical teams deployed there have been numerous successes at PIH's sites of medical operations in Port-au-Prince and outside of the city. Today, we initiated a more decentralized approach, identifying four communities and a medical complex in Croix-des-Boquets into which we will expand our efforts tomorrow. We also began a MedEvac program for the most critical patients - four patients arrived in Philadelphia this morning where they all had surgery today and five additional patients were flown to the Dominican Republic this afternoon.

In addition to these details, we have received painful emails, commentaries, and images about the state of Port-au-Prince. We hope that the following two pieces will provide you-our supporters who now stand in solidarity with Haiti-a glimpse of Port-au-Prince. You'll note, as we have, the profound need for a sustained, long-term international response to this crisis.

An email from Dr. Evan Lyon:
In an email sent very early this morning, Dr. Evan Lyon documented his reaction to the catastrophe in Port-au-Prince.

Read more about his first twelve hours in the city

Dr. David Walton documents the tragedy and PIH's response in images:

Arriving in Port-au-Prince within 48 hours of the tragedy, Dr. David Walton met up with Partners In Health and Zanmi Lasante (Partners In Health's Haitian sister organization) leadership to care for patients and pursue a coordinated strategy for medical relief.

On behalf of all of our patients and the hundreds of thousands suffering, we thank you for your efforts to spread the word of our work. Please share these accounts with others.

http://act.pih.org/sharewithafriend

In solidarity,

Ophelia Dahl
Executive Director