Hôpital Bon Samaritain (Foundation HBS)

1/3/11 CHHN Update
Although fully supported by MSF, they do not always have all the supplies they need and could use external support. Also a possibility that MSF will pull out soon and HBS feel thee is still a great need.
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12/11/10 CHHN Notes:
Last update: 11/22/10
49 current pts.
CHHN no longer tracking due to MSF support
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11/22/10 Email from Paul Hodges (stateside)
HBS (Hopital Bon Samaritain) received its first patient of Acute Dysentery Infection on the 21st of October 2010. In the days following HBS began to receive more patients with the same symptoms all of them coming from the upper areas of 8th and 4th Section of the Limbe Valley. HBS contacted MSPP and based on the reports of a similar cases in the Artibonite Valley, HBS doctors believed that they were looking at an onset of epidemic in the North of Haiti. MSPP and CDC have determined this epidemic to be Cholera. Due to the nature of the illness and that the majority of patients were coming were coming from the poorest levels of society, HBS decided that, as with our TB and the Diabetic programs, that its cholera program would also be entirely free for admission and medicine. With the help of MSPP, AmeriCares , MSF, PAHO and others for supplies and staff, HBS has seen and treated almost 400 patients from all over the Limbe Valley to where the epidemic has now spread. The mortality rate of about 6.25% is due, in part, to the slow response of the families to bring the patients in at the first sign of symptoms. HBS has in isolation on any given day between 40 and 80 patients.
HBS badly needs help such as volunteer doctors and nurses. Help is also needed to better isolate and provide proper hygiene for the patients. The doctors, nurses and staff at HBS are performing a heroic effort but are stretched thin trying to maintain the hospital while caring for the cholera patients. HBS has supplies on hand to treat the patients, though the supply routes are sometimes slow depending on the situation in the country.
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11/11/10 HEAS POST 7:03 PM:

"The hospitals in the Limbe river region, and most other treatment
facilities in the same region are being inundated with cases, starting
with Hospital Bon Samaritan in Limbe."

FROM HEAS POST:
On Nov 10, 2010, at 1:56 PM, Tiffany Keenan wrote:

From partners in the north....

I made a visit to both Limbe hospitals yesterday and brought more supplies to Bord de Mer Limbe clinic (Haiti Village Health) where I ended up staying night due to huge volumes of rain and assisting with cholera patients here. Even with the rain (likely causing many to never make it) clinic is seeing 5-10 patients a day. 6 to the hospital this morning one of whom died. Late last night we were at (Hospital) Bon Samaritan which is overflowing with patients. We talked with Shawn (Hodges) who said the last two days had been crazy and they were hoping to set up a second tent today to accommodate increased patient load.

The situation at the other limbe hospital (Government hospital St Jean) was worse. We brought a patient there only to discover that a huge tent and building full of patients was being attended by noone. There was no doctor or nurse present, dry IV bags, and when we asked how a doctor could be reached noone really knew. All patients from the clinic are now being routed to Bon Samaritan after stabilization with IV or oral fluid and the hospital has said to send them along no problem.

Personal contact....
also had another report from Clinic Ebenezer who said they were overrun with patients and on their last box of saline. Staff have been overwhelmed and they are looking for nurses.

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CRISIS IN HAITI
EARTHQUAKE 2010

Update 24 January 2010

Friends of HBS

GOOD NEWS!! The surgery team, headed up by Dr. Anthony Brown and Dr. Anders Ulland of MN arrived at HBS late Wednesday bringing supplies, medicines and hope to the victims of the Earthquake. Working with the HBS medical staff, the team members immediately set up for surgery and performed an emergency C-Section that night. Since then the team at HBS has been able to accomplish wound debridement, a below knee amputation, open reduction and internal fixations of fractures, non operative treatment of fractures (cast/splint) some with use of anesthesia and emergency C-sections. Surgery is ongoing as more patients receive word that we have trauma/orthopedic/general surgeons working and are showing up to receive help.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers, donations and support to make this possible. We are continuing to receive surgery and medical supplies here in Florida to airlift to Haiti. Our goal is to keep HBS surgery operational for as long as needed with the best care possible. Your continued donations will make this happen as we have to rotate medical personnel and airlift more medicines and supplies.

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Friends of HBS

Shortly before 5 PM, January 12, 2010 a major earthquake struck the capital of Haiti, Port au Prince and surrounding area causing major devastation. Seventy miles north, in Limbe, at Hopital Bon Samaritain, the buildings shook and a violent rolling motion was experienced for close to a minute. About ten minutes later, an aftershock, though less powerful, repeated itself. The light poles and trees swayed back and forth. Though the earthquakes were the hardest we have ever felt, we are thankful that the hospital buildings which were well built by Dr. William Hodges, sustained little or no damage. Aftershocks are continuing, contributing to a general panic throughout Haiti. All the staff, patients and kids are well. The hospital remains open caring for all.

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PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP support our efforts at HBS Limbe. Every donation, however small helps. We need operating capital in Haiti. We need supplies on the ground. So far we have been operating with cash only as the banks are barely functional. We need funds to help defray fuel costs to airlift supplies to Haiti. We hope to be able to send in larger aircraft with badly needed medical and surgery supplies at the end of the week from Ft. Lauderdale. Once treated, victims need to be reintegrated into these communities outside Port au Prince.

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VOLUNTEERING (FROM THE SITE):

HBS encourages persons from different countries and from all age groups and walks of life to come and donate a portion of their life, use their skills and experience the joy of sharing with another culture and society. HBS needs medical professionals such as general doctors, surgeons, anesthesiologists, PA's, physical therapists, nurses, midwives, lab technicians, and pharmacists on a regular basis. General support staff, such as administrative personnel, computer technicians, and maintenance personnel is also sought. Whether you are a student, a professional or retired, and you feel that you would like to join the HBS staff in helping to make a difference in the life of the Haitians in the Limbe Valley, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will make every effort to get back to you as soon as possible and let you know available openings and positions that you might be able to fill. HBS asks that you provide your time and air travel to Haiti. HBS in return provides room and board and necessary local transportation for the length of your stay there.

Volunteer Information

HBS is very flexible when it comes to the volunteer work program. We are open round the clock, with most persons working a 40-48 hour week. Although everyone is expected to take responsibility for their work, no one is expected to do more than they are qualified or feel comfortable doing. As every ex-patriate represents HBS in some way, all persons are expected to conduct themselves in a courteous, respectable and professional manner at work and at all other times.

ACCOMODATIONS

Room and Board is provided by HBS for all visiting and foreign staff. Rooms are very basic with food served three times a day in a cafeteria. Running water and electricity (120V/60 Hz) is provided 24 hours a day. Laundry Service, bedding, towels, soap and toilet paper are available.

CLOTHES

HBS expects appropriate attire for work. Hospital blouses and scrubs are available. As this is the tropical weather, good footwear and rain gear is a must. Most clothes are acceptable for free time.

COMMUNICATIONS

Communications are fairly unreliable though there is a satellite phone available for emergency voice and data. E-mail and VoIP are available at local cyber cafes in Caqp Haitian.
HEALTH PRECAUTIONS

Health Insurance is suggested especially for medivac purposes
Updated Tetanus Vaccine
Typhoid - Not required but one should consider it
Malaria - Because of Falciparum malaria in the area, you may want to start anti-malaria pills two weeks before coming to Haiti. Chloroquine pills are available here in our pharmacy.

LANGUAGE

Though French is the official language, Creole (patois) is spoken everywhere. Persons who speak and understand English can be found almost anywhere to translate.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Haiti requires a valid passport. A tourist Card, valid for three months (renewable) is issued upon entry.

FINANCES

The official currency is the gourde. The exchange rate is about 39 gourdes = 1.00 U$. Foreign Cash and traveler checks can be changed locally.

AIR TRAVEL

HBS uses a humanitarian based airline, MFI, that flies directly to Cap Haitian from Florida. If you wish to utilize this route please contact us for more information. Lynx Air is a small commercial based service flying from Ft. Lauderdale to Cap Haitian. One can also plan to arrive through Port au Prince and then fly the shuttle to Cap Haitian.

1. Missionary Flights International (MFI), 3170 Airmans Dr., Ft Pierce, FL 34946. They fly from Ft. Pierce to Cap Haïtian on Tuesdays and on Thursdays. As they are a mission airline using DC-3's for aircraft, they only take passengers recommended to them by the affiliated mission. Their phone number is (772) 462 2395. Once you set up your reservations, please notify us so we can call them to confirm.

2. Lynx Air International, 3402 SW 9th Ave, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315.You can contact them for current rates and weight restrictions. They have daily flights into Cap Haïtian using a Metroliner SW-4. Their phone number is (954) 772 9808 or (888)-596-9247.

3. Another option is taking a commercial flight into Port au Prince and then flying the local shuttle to Cap Haitian (U$ 132.00 RT). Caribintair operates 4-5 flights daily.