Doctors Without Borders Steps Up Trauma Care in Haiti
By Tequila Minsky, Heritagekonpa
On April 8, 2005, Dr. Christophe Fournier of MSF addressed the UN Security Council speaking of the medical treatment crisis in Haiti. He explained how patients, most of whom are women, children and elderly, were victims of indiscriminate shooting near their homes, while buying or selling at the local markets, or while walking down the wrong street at the wrong time. They've treated children as young as 4 and women, age 70, for gunshot wounds.
Ms. Rymshaw tells how they follow all cases "We did treat someone who was arrested and moved to a city hospital and then the jail. We visited this man and removed stitches in prison. It is not negotiable, we follow up. The team must be able to protect the patients." The perception was that they support the gangs but they treat all in need.
Patients
at St. Joseph's Hospital come from all areas of Port-au-Prince--from the center
of the city as well as different slum areas and are transported by whatever means
necessary. Some come by private transport, taxi or tap-tap, or sometimes the UN.
The majority are transported by the Haitian National Red Cross allowed in some
areas by the gangs in control. Even the lives of the Red Cross are risk by
entering these war zones--two volunteers were wounded when caught in the crossfire.
With the over-all increase in criminality-extortion, kidnappings, robbery, and murder-- rape is another form of violence that has increased dramatically--75% is gang rape, used by some groups to instill fear in civilians.
Violence against women is treated in St Joseph's or psychosocial treatment is provided in the Pacot rehabilitation center. As a relatively new provider in Port- au- Prince, MSF has just begun to meet and work with other organizations that work with rape victims." This increase is a phenomenon we see in armed environments," Ms. Rymshaw commented.
Since rape is such a taboo subject few are reported and it takes time to build up trust from the community to be accepted as a service provider for victims of rape. MSF had treated an average of 10 rape victims a month.
MSF has also reopened a primary health care center in the slum of Citi Soleil providing some services to citizens whose movement was limited by both gangs in charge and the UN Mission's tanks. The staff is 5 foreigners and 20 Haitians. The most serious cases are transported to St. Joseph's.
The MSF work near St. Marc within a Ministry of Health framework concentrated on maternal health. "We looked at needs. Maternal and infant mortality cried out to them," Ms. Rymshaw explained. Following that work MSF responded to other crises, the 1993-4 Fond Verrettes' mudslides, and the health needs resulting from the devastating and deadly mudslides brought on by Hurricane Jeanne in September 2004. They also have teams in Gonnaives and Port-de-Paix and also currently provide primary and maternal health care in the Decayette and Cité Soleil areas of Port-au-Prince as well as in Petite Rivière, Artibonite Department. MSF will continue to work in Port-au-Prince as long as there is a need to treat vast numbers of victims of violence.
Background
MSF/Doctors Without Borders was founded in 1971 by a small group of doctors and journalists who believed that all people have a right to emergency treatment. It was one of the first non-governmental organizations that understood the need for medical assistance and to bear witness to the plight of the people it helps.
From external wars, internal conflict, earthquakes, famines, floods, TB and HIV, MSF concentrates on the world’s most vulnerable. Doctors and health professionals work in 32 countries in Africa, 12 countries in Asia, 11 countries in the Americas including Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. They also work in the Caucasus’ and Central Asia.
After 24 years of work in Afghanistan MSF left following the killings of 5 staff members in June 2004.
Their work with emigrants excluded from state medical care in European communities includes displaced peoples, refugees, asylum seekers, and the homeless. In 1999 MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.... back to page 1
