Baptist Haiti Mission (Mission Baptiste d'Haïti - Also known as: Hopital de Fermathe) - "CTU (UTC) CHOLERA TREATMENT UNIT" (Supported by: ALIMA)

Per PAHO/MSPP list dated 12-31-10:

This site is designated as a CTU (UTC) and supported by ALIMA

CONTACT: Amel Chilla; Guillaume Le Duc, Responsable de programmes alima.portauprince@gmail.com, 3486 8446; Guillaume Le Duc 3785 4383 / Mr Jean Angus, 3556-9112

GPS COORDINATES: 18.467881-72.295743 (NOT VERIFIED)

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7/19/11 Posted on HEAS from Dr. Bell
Received a call from a contact point in Mawiotie Bouret (South of Kenscoff) that a cholera outbreak has hit the remote river valley once again. This will effect many in the downstream villages of Grand Rivie and Belle Fontaine.

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HEAS RESPONSE TEAM UPDATE 12/11/10:

We are moving quickly now to intercept and evaluate reporting we discovered in the Obleon - Furcy corridor by multiple locals of roughly ten fatalities each in the communities of Bel Fountaine and Mohotiere Brouette. Infection believed to have been acquired after travel to the Sequin area as opposed to PaP, however we will investigate this further. Brief stop at the Baptist Mission located between Kenscoff and Fermante indicates they've seen 8 patients total, none from these communities, no fatalities with two discharges. No patient surge noted, and the staff had not heard about the abovementioned communities.

We have teamed up with MMRC Global's Paul Sebring and the good folks from Open Hands to get on-site quickly. It is a long off-road drive with possible on-foot hiking into these areas. We have been told by locals there is zero medical support. If true, we expect to see a very bad situation, and one for which we may not be prepared with our recon team. With the multiple days of lockdown we've all experienced thanks to the demonstrations, we believe the disruption in NGO activity has contributed to a bad situation. We hope we are wrong.

I am copying PAHO ARO for their awareness of the possibility we may need immediate assistance for rapid mobilization of a CTC/CTU capability. We estimate we will be able to last 24-48 hrs on-site without support, however there is a great deal of uncertainly what we will truly find. All helo's are grounded last time we checked, so again we hope the situation is not as bad as what the locals claim.

Cheers,
Jim

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FROM THE WEBSITE:

Cholera Outbreak Affects Local Churches
The recent Cholera outbreak in Haiti has brought national attention to Port-au-Prince, where more than 3,300 cases have been confirmed. Reports have come in from the rural districts where BHM serves, and cholera has struck several of our partner churches.

Local pastors reported that between 10 and 15 people have died from Cholera in their congregations, and they are seeking help to prevent more deaths.

We have already assembled basic hygiene supplies and disinfectants to help stem the spread of the disease in the affected districts.

Though international news agencies are reporting that the spread of Cholera is slowing, local pastors indicate that the rural areas where we serve are still under siege, and we are preparing for the worst.

This is the first Cholera outbreak Haiti has experienced in over 100 years, and it has left many health officials scrambling to control the spread of the disease. Basic hygiene plays a crucial role in preventing Cholera, but many impoversiehd communities, especially in the rural areas where we serve, simply don't have dependable access to supplies like bleach and other disinfectants.

We need your help to respond effectively to the Cholera outbreak and prevent needless deaths.

You'll help save lives when you contribute to our Cholera relief fund.