10,000 US Nurses Sign-Up for Haiti! Can’t Go.
10,000 nurses completely ready, able and willing to give of their time and knowledge to help the people of this devastated country – and there is no transportation for them to enter the region.
The single airport is clogged with huge planes from across the globe bringing water, supplies, temporary housing and search and rescue personnel and animals. Planes bearing earth and rubble removal equipment are also there. So, landing via aircraft is out.
He said the nurses are now actively seeking alternate routes to get into the country using partners who are scouring Port-au-Prince and neighboring towns for places where they can set up clinics.
(Read full article here.)
Excellent!
They tried the US Navy…
…U.S. military informed the nurses they would not be able to travel aboard a Navy hospital ship called the USNS Comfort, at least not anytime soon.
Now, they are looking at overland transportation via the Dominican Republic. It does not look good either.
The government and military are telling all assistance personnel that while there is a need for their skills, there is no infrastructure for their bodies.
Housing – bring it with you.
Water – bring it with you.
Food – bring it with you.
Communication devices – bring it with you.
Medical equipment and medicines – bring it with you.
Personal hygiene needs (toilets, toilet paper, shower facilities) – bring it with you.
And, in order to house, water and feed yourselves – as well as the people you are coming to serve – you would have to bring 10 times (or more!) what you would need just for yourself. Each.
If nurses cannot do this themselves, who can??? The agencies that work year-round, year-after-year, stock-piling and strategizing AND PRACTICING for disasters such as this.
- The militaries & national guards of developed countries
- The Red Cross
- Doctors without Borders
- …I’m sure there are more….give’em a shout out below? With a link?
Please, if you are a nurse, doctor, pharmacist, EMT, paramedic, lab tech, med tech and you want to donate your time and skills to relief efforts such as we have needed in our own country (Katrina) and now in Haiti, join one of these established organizations.
They can get you there.
__________
Sending blessings and prayers for the people of Haiti
and for the personnel streaming there to provide.
the Muse, RN
Update: MUST GO TO HAITI ANYWAY?
Medical Teams International
(http://www.medicalteams.org/sf/get_involved/volunteer.aspx)
Thank you, Annette.
Medical Missions – Reference Guide
(http://www.gi.org/physicians/medmission/volunteer.asp)
Thank you, Dee.
From FEMA’s Guide – a citizen’s guide to disaster assistance.
(http://www.disastercenter.com/agency.htm)
Thank you, Hal.
“We have a group going to Haiti on Feb 13, for 10 days. Travel by
Angel Missions-Haiti. Seems to be well organized, but then we won’t really now until we get there…”
http://www.angelmissionshaiti.org/medical.html
Thank you, P.
The US Medical Reserve Corps has local, state and national chapters. They are citizen-run volunteer groups that bolster the ranks of front-line personnel in times of disaster and/or in times of frank need. (example: city-wide H1N1 flu shot clinics)
http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/AboutVolunteering
I’ve noticed your website a while ago, just recently did i start noticing it more and more. Very useful information, thank you and keep it coming.