Medical Supplies For Haiti
Donation protected
September 2, 2018
Dear Friends,
I am returning to Haiti for the fifth time since the earthquake of 2010 on October 21. I will be returning to Mirebalais with Partners in Health (PIH) as a volunteer visiting professor of emergency medicine at the Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais (HUM). I was there for one month in April. HUM is a 300 bed teaching hospital in the central plains of Haiti. It opened in early 2013 and has become the primary tertiary care facility in the country. It is training the next generation of nurses and physicians while providing care to a region of 3.5 million people. It is training physicians in five specialties including emergency medicine. This fall the second class of 6 emergency medicine physicians will graduate.
The leaders of the Emergency Medicine Department Dr Rimpel and Dr Edmond have asked if I could bring a few items when I return. First of all they wish to fully stock the ED library with textbooks that can be checked out by residents. To that end I have procured 2 sets of 2 volume Rosens textbooks of emergency medicine as well as 2 volumes of Tintinallis Emergency Medicine . In addition I have purchased Roberts and Hedges clinical Procedures, Harriet Lane pediatric handbook and several smaller handbooks.
I am writing you to see if you would like to contribute to the last items on the list. They would specifically like two IV pumps that are old fashioned, easy to repair and do not use expensive proprietary tubing- ie Sigma Spectrum pumps. The pumps are necessary for adequately and safely giving intravenous medications. Right now they have to use the ole 15 drops per minute equals some mg or ug/ minute- not exact to be sure. I would also like to bring 2 femur traction splints , as I know from my experience there in April how long people with horrible orthopaedic injuries wait for surgery, ( 5-6 days sometimes). The splints are only about $350 apiece but the IV pumps are $1500 apiece refurbished. Of course any of my friends in the medical world that know of one that is not being used can call me collect any hour of the day or night!
So in summary I am hoping to raise $3600 for the purchase of the pumps and splints. The last time I spoke to PIH’s head office in Boston it sounded like receipts for tax purposes would be available. I believe that is only necessary for donations of $250 or more. I will post pictures of the receipt of said items at HUM in October. Checks can be mailed or you can donate directly to this go fund me page. Thanks so much!!!
I guarantee they will be put to good use and I promise pictures of them in the hospital being used.
Don't worry, if I receive more than the goal I will buy more IV pumps. the emergency department was built for 24 beds and routinely has twice that number of patients. They can use as many pumps as I can mule down there in my luggage!
If anyone is interested you may contact me through this link for more information. Please look online for information about PIH and HUM.
https://www.pih.org/pages/mirebalais
Respectfully,
Michael Paterson MD, FAAEM
Dear Friends,
I am returning to Haiti for the fifth time since the earthquake of 2010 on October 21. I will be returning to Mirebalais with Partners in Health (PIH) as a volunteer visiting professor of emergency medicine at the Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais (HUM). I was there for one month in April. HUM is a 300 bed teaching hospital in the central plains of Haiti. It opened in early 2013 and has become the primary tertiary care facility in the country. It is training the next generation of nurses and physicians while providing care to a region of 3.5 million people. It is training physicians in five specialties including emergency medicine. This fall the second class of 6 emergency medicine physicians will graduate.
The leaders of the Emergency Medicine Department Dr Rimpel and Dr Edmond have asked if I could bring a few items when I return. First of all they wish to fully stock the ED library with textbooks that can be checked out by residents. To that end I have procured 2 sets of 2 volume Rosens textbooks of emergency medicine as well as 2 volumes of Tintinallis Emergency Medicine . In addition I have purchased Roberts and Hedges clinical Procedures, Harriet Lane pediatric handbook and several smaller handbooks.
I am writing you to see if you would like to contribute to the last items on the list. They would specifically like two IV pumps that are old fashioned, easy to repair and do not use expensive proprietary tubing- ie Sigma Spectrum pumps. The pumps are necessary for adequately and safely giving intravenous medications. Right now they have to use the ole 15 drops per minute equals some mg or ug/ minute- not exact to be sure. I would also like to bring 2 femur traction splints , as I know from my experience there in April how long people with horrible orthopaedic injuries wait for surgery, ( 5-6 days sometimes). The splints are only about $350 apiece but the IV pumps are $1500 apiece refurbished. Of course any of my friends in the medical world that know of one that is not being used can call me collect any hour of the day or night!
So in summary I am hoping to raise $3600 for the purchase of the pumps and splints. The last time I spoke to PIH’s head office in Boston it sounded like receipts for tax purposes would be available. I believe that is only necessary for donations of $250 or more. I will post pictures of the receipt of said items at HUM in October. Checks can be mailed or you can donate directly to this go fund me page. Thanks so much!!!
I guarantee they will be put to good use and I promise pictures of them in the hospital being used.
Don't worry, if I receive more than the goal I will buy more IV pumps. the emergency department was built for 24 beds and routinely has twice that number of patients. They can use as many pumps as I can mule down there in my luggage!
If anyone is interested you may contact me through this link for more information. Please look online for information about PIH and HUM.
https://www.pih.org/pages/mirebalais
Respectfully,
Michael Paterson MD, FAAEM
Organizer
Michael Paterson
Organizer
Evergreen, CO
