Haiti- Day 13

When flying out of Haiti yesterday our team was faced with a difficult situation. The chopper returned for us with 2 of the 4 seats occupied. After some phone calls and thinking we agreed that we, the 2 MDs, would return and our friend Craig would go by truck with a driver that we met. It was a very unsettling feeling saying good bye to him so far from the border.

Craig’s email was working and we communicated throughout the late afternoon and evening. As midnight approached he neared the border which closes here at 7pm. We organized some of the local talent who had some connections at the border and Silvio and I drove there. After about 30 minutes and some negotiating Craig was on DR soil and we all sleep better having him back with us.

Today more gains were made here concerning the patient census and medical record numbers. Patients were allowed to have 1 family member stay with them, all the others were taken to refugee camps inside the Haitian border, as declared by the Dominican government. It was sad to see the fear in some of their eyes concerning splitting up their families. Nothing is easy here, especially the decisions to break up these bonds of human attachment after a tragedy such as this.

Goodnight from Haiti.