DGHI News: DGHI Partner, Family Health Ministries, Expands Relief Efforts to Rural Haiti

DGHI Partner, Family Health Ministries, Expands Relief Efforts to Rural Haiti

A week after the deadly 7.0 earthquake rocked the island nation of Haiti, millions are still without food, water, shelter, electricity and medical attention. As aid slowly makes its way into the capital city Port au Prince, others worry about the surrounding rural areas that suffered as much damage but is getting far less attention.

Through the efforts of the Durham-based nonprofit and DGHI partner, Family Health Ministries (FHM), which operates three medical clinics, a school and an orphanage in rural Haiti, medical supplies are reaching the hard-hit communities of Leogane, Blanchard and Fondwa. FHM, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control, has worked around the clock to collect emergency supplies and transport them to Haiti, the first of which arrived in Leogane on Sunday (read more below). The news is a ray of hope for these impoverished communities which were at the epicenter of the quake and where an estimated 90 percent of the buildings have collapsed and 10 percent of the population has perished.

Lives Lost in Fondwa, But Not Hope

FHM Executive Director Kathy Walmer learned today that dozens of people have been found dead in Fondwa, including several orphanage staff members, a two-year-old baby orphan and a translator. One of FHM's partners, Father Joseph, says the community is devastated.

"Everything in Fondwa has gone. The infrastructure that we have built in 22 years: the Orphanage, the School, the APF Center, the Clinic, the Radio Station, the Sisters' Convent, the buildings of the University of Fondwa (seven of them) -- Everything has gone," wrote Father Joseph in an email Sunday night. "But the rest of us are alive and are strongly in solidarity with the rest of the Country. Together, we can rebuild Fondwa and Haiti."

FHM's Blanchard Clinic began treating patients today

The second floor of FHM's clinic in Leogane, which was under construction, also collapsed. (The clinic in Leogane has hosted scores of Duke students over the years.) Fortunately, the clinic's bottom floor is still intact and fully operational. FHM's clinic in Blanchard, is still standing and began receiving patients today.

Kathy and her husband David, a Duke physician and DGHI member, are still having difficulty reaching all of their partners in both locations.

"This is going to be a long and difficult process. Once the urgent needs are met, we will work with our community leaders to start setting priorities to rebuild," said Walmer of FHM, which is providing daily updates on its website. "Please continue to keep Haiti in your prayers. We are overwhelmed by your generosity and willingness to share your time, talents and resources."

400 Boxes of Supplies Donated by REMEDY In Route to Haiti

With the help of 20 Duke students and Family Health Ministries (FHM), more than 400 boxes of much-needed medical supplies are on the way to Haiti. The supplies, which included 64 boxes of bandages and wound dressings, are donations from REMEDY, a volunteer program at Duke that collects usable surplus medical supplies from the Medical Center for donation to Duke-affiliated global health projects.

John Lohnes, director of the REMEDY program and Duke physician assistant, emphasized that the donated supplies "are all recovered surplus items that would otherwise have been discarded due to the regulatory and logistical constraints of the American health care system. However, they are all usable items that will be put to good use in this disaster relief effort."

The supplies were loaded on a truck bound for Florida and then transported by a small plane that landed on a bypass highway in Leogane. A second truck leaves later today and will be in Haiti within a day. FHM has mobilized medical teams with trauma, orthopedic and anesthesia skills to meet these supplies in Haiti and deploy them to the clinics and communities throughout rural Haiti.

Articles of Interest

FHM's relief efforts are featured - MSNBC, USATODAY, The Herald-Sun, The News & Observer, NBC17, and TribStar.

Editorial from today's Duke Chronicle calling on action by the Duke community to sustain the rebuilding effort in Haiti.

How You Can Help

1. Volunteers are needed Sunday, January 24, 1-4 pm, to sort, inventory and pack remaining surplus at REMEDY's warehouse on LaSalle Street. Interested volunteers should contact John Lohnes.

2. Donate to Family Health Ministries

3. Duke students can donate FLEX and Food Points through January 22. More than $15,000 has been raised since Friday.

4. Stay informed of on-going relief efforts, fundraising events, and the latest news from Duke here.

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