John's Update

We are in Hinche and at the compound. It took 4 hrs. of a bone rattling drive to get here. I thought the road from Nairobi to Lake Nakura was the worst I had been on, but this one wins. We were told another reason for delaying our trip was that the prison, holding 4000 prisoners in Port Au Prince also fell down releasing them all. Haitian justice is taking care of some of them, but the others are roaming. The UN convoy was very nice.

The hospital is crowded with people, especially those with femur and a variety of other fracture. Some have associated complications. A team of Drs. From Dartmouth is leaving tomorrow. They have been here the last eight days. We will either replace them there, or set up our own OR’s here at the facility. This facility has a medical center, well, suite for an OR, and a very large area to serve as a hospital and recovery area. It can also easy feed and house a large number of people.

It has taken us three days to get started – much longer than anticipated. AND the full load of supplies still has not arrived.

Many children are in the hospital. After they reviewed our site, we were told by the UN that they will start sending people our way.

The delays and frustrations here are amazing. WE were told that after the earthquake and the airport at Port Au Prince closed, the airport at Cap Haitien also closed without any particular reason. It took days to reopen, and unfortunately delayed an access for aid.

The second half of the team has NOT yet arrived. The supplies have been located in Ft. Lauderdale and will hopefully make it to Hinche tomorrow! We will see..

This is just a glimpse of the amazing confusion and frustration that is going on throughout the country. Keep praying for those people and that peace will be obtained.