The BBC recently reported that medical organizations with members serving the Haitian communities affected by the earthquake on January 12th warn that one of the larger issues for Haitians will likely be the need for increased medical supplies, such as prosthetic devices and rehabilitation services.
Concerned about infection, doctors in Haiti have had to amputate the limbs of a great many injured patients. In addition to the need for such resources as medical devices and prosthetic equipment, doctors are also still in need of simple medications. Antibiotics are needed to prevent the spread of infections and painkillers to help damaged patients simply make it through the day.
Because many of the country’s hospitals were also destroyed by the earthquake, doctors in Haiti are performing most care in makeshift open areas. And in such environments, infection spreads fast. Though the few hospitals that are running are reported to be in relatively well-organized condition, many of the patients in those hospitals are not leaving as they have nowhere else to go, except perhaps the streets– where infections await their open wounds. So they stay, Doctors are left with fewer and fewer areas to treat, and the number of patients increases. To remedy the situation, there are plans at present to quickly build a convalescent center.
