PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Despite suffering quake damage that destroyed or damaged several buildings and killed hundreds of staff, Haiti’s largest hospital is still functioning 24/7. Doctors and nurses working long hours amid sweltering sauna-like heat are performing heroically in spite of broken and dilapidated equipment and entire departments are functioning outside under tents.

Several weeks ago, Dr. Alix, the hospital’s administrator, contacted me and asked for help. I know Dr. Alix well. OB was working at the hospital on the day of the earthquake, and has since provided a water purification plant, 12 truckloads of medicine, and cash to help pay for unbudgeted staff needs. Dr. Alix explained that the 700-bed hospital was limping along with only one working X-ray machine and one antique film developer. Both were running 24 hours a day and falling farther behind. The rest of the equipment was broken or had worn out. The radiology department waiting rooms were overflowing with sweating patients sitting on long benches, waiting their turn. The situation was desperate.

I called my friend Jerry. Last year Jerry and Medical Equipment Corporation, his Virginia Beach-based med tech firm, helped us get the X-ray rooms in Honduras’ largest hospital up and running. I told Jerry what the situation was and he graciously offered his services pro bono. As always, OB agreed to pick up his travel expenses. A few days later Jerry arrived in Port-au-Prince on the AA flight from Miami and I met him at the airport. We whisked him to the hospital for a meeting with Dr. Alix and the radiology chief. During the next few days Jerry sweated off about 10 pounds and skinned all his knuckles struggling with the the broken units, but lack of spares and an inconsistent power supply frustrated his efforts.

Jerry analyzed what was needed, returned to Va. Beach and began gathering parts and components. Last week he called and said the shipment, weighing about 2 tons, was ready to go. It consisted of 2 complete portable X-ray machines, an automatic film processor, a single phase generator and an assortment of spares to fix the hospital’s existing machines. The shipment went out by air late last week. This week we are dealing with Haiti customs to get the shipment out in time for Jerry’s arrival on Friday. He and his son Kevin will work all weekend to install the new equipment and repair the broken machines. They hope to finish by Tuesday and fly home.

This is another example of how OB acts as a force multiplier. We multiply donor dollars by thinking like entrepreneurs. We are always looking for ways to leverage resources. In this case, by thinking strategically, moving quickly, utilizing our network of expert friends and spending a few dollars for airplane tickets and air freight, we are providing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of machinery that will save lives and alleviate the suffering of countless poor people in Haiti.

Tags: Bill Horan, Caribbean, clean water, Earthquake, General Hospital, Haiti, Medical Aid, Medical Relief, Medical Supplies, OBI, Operation Blessing, Port-au-Prince, Water Purification, Water Purification System, X-Ray

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 at 2:37 pm and is filed under Bill Horan, Caribbean, Earthquake, Haiti, Medical relief. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.