Sudden encounters, impromptu conversations lead to plans to save lives

Photo: Roger Burks/Mercy Corps

Port-au-Prince, Hospital General (General Hospital) — We talked to Veronique Sufra, the administrative deputy for the kitchen here at Port-au-Prince's main hospital about food and nutritional needs at the hospital. She said that they needed fresh produce here. They have a supplier who delivers dry goods, but need things like fresh fruit and vegetables.

We talk about helping them stock up on rice, beans, cooking oil, sugar and flour — items that are in short supply — to help feed the patients (of which there are at least 700 here) who are subsisting on sporadic food provided by NGOs and the military right now.

Mercy Corps' Carol Ward suggests that the patients need some kind of protein — eggs, most likely, and also milk.

Jenny suggests that we get a list of ingredients — especially fresh produce — from the kitchen staff and then go determine the price of these items in the local market, then give them the weekly cash to buy these items for food preparation.

Carol talks to Veronique about not giving milk to babies under six months, who should be breastfeeding. That is, unless the mother has perished, is unable to breastfeed or has HIV/AIDS.

"When we return with the dry goods tomorrow, you can give us a list for fresh produce and we'll work with you to come up with a system of supply and delivery," Jenny tells Veronique.

Jenny gets on the phone with Sean, another member of the emergency team, and tells him we need to find three 10-ton trucks to deliver the food to the hospital tomorrow.

This afternoon, we go to the World Food Programme office at the UN compound to procure the food. Carol is successful in doing so.

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Also at the Hospital General, we talk with Dr. Paul of International Medical Corps (IMC), who's coordinating medical services and other assistance here.

He tells us there's a need for clean water for dialysis and other uses. We talk with him about trying to set up and coordinate a system of delivery.

"If you want to be — and can be — the water people here, it's yours," Dr. Paul says.

Here, impromptu conversations lead to plans.

Jenny calls Mugur, our water and sanitation engineer, who says he will come and do an assessment before noon today — less than an hour after this conversation.

Jenny also updates Dr. Paul about the food situation and asks how many patients are currently at the hospital.

"They've said 300, but I think it's got to be somewhere between 750 and 1,000," Dr. Paul says. "You should go tent to tent and ask what they need."

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We also talk to Dr. Lassegue — head of the hospital — and his deputy, Ms. Thompson. They agree that water is the most pressing need. And Mugur will be here soon.