Northern Arizona Volunteer Medical Corps

Nearly a month has passed since a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, followed by Tropical Storm Grace, devastated the southwestern region of Haiti. These events left an estimated 2,220 dead and 12,000 injured. Upwards of 140,000 homes were destroyed, and the heavy rains led to mudslides and road closures in the southern part of the country. Even now, three weeks later, there continue to be difficulties reaching the area. Earthquake victims have been getting to the country’s major trauma centers in Port-au-Prince by helicopter and fixed wing, however, many of the flight teams have now left and only one small helicopter remains, shuttling patients one at a time in and out of Port-au-Prince.

The hospitals in Haiti’s Southern Peninsula have little, if any, orthopedic equipment and are overwhelmed with patients. I continue to receive email requests for orthopedic equipment from these facilities. Patients with more serious injuries are being sent to Port-au-Prince for treatment, including to Hospital (Hospital) Bernard Bevs (HBM).

HBM, the most modern hospital in Port-au-Prince, was low on supplies when I visited them in May. Now their supplies are depleted and they have little left to treat the earthquake victims that remain in their facility. They have no source of funding to cover the payroll, as upwards of 95% of Haitians have no health insurance coverage.

Project Medishare for Haiti (PMH) is coordinating the relief effort to avoid the inefficiencies that arose after the 2010 earthquake. Through Zoom meetings, organizations such as USAID, Hopital Bernard Mevs, Partners in Health, Team Broken Earth, Sean Penn’s group “CORE,” and NAVMC are working together to get COVID vaccine, supplies, and equipment to the areas that need them in a collaborative and effective manner. 

NAVMC has shipped out 1,500 pounds of medical supplies and equipment that will arrive in Haiti this week and will be distributed through this network to get them to the places most in need. 

NAVMC has funded the payroll for HBM for the month of August and those funds were delivered today.

NAVMC has raised $150,000 of our targeted $250,000 for a multi-pronged response to the earthquake in Haiti. We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg in meeting Haiti’s needs but our contributions will help hundreds.

We still need your help as we continue to:

1.     Gather orthopedic equipment and supplies to send to Haiti.
2.     Raise funds to support Hospital Bernard Mevs with salaries and supplies.
3.     Raise funds to feed the children at Renmen Orphanage; rates of food insecurity across the country have skyrocketed.

You can help us reach our goal of raising $250,000 to keep Hospital Bernard Mevs’ doors open to care for earthquake victims and keep the 50 children at Renmen Orphanage fed.

You can save a life today by donating:
–        Online at www.navmc.org
–        Mailing a check to NAVMC, 2532 N. 4th St. Box #342, Flagstaff, AZ 86004

Please share our message with friends and family, and keep Haiti in your hearts as the country rebuilds from another devastating disaster.