Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995

Report on AMDA’s Haiti Hurricane Relief #8
(19 October-3 November 2016)

â– 19 October 2016:
After AMDA’s second batch of Japanese relief personnel (one nurse and one coordinator) returned to Japan, the joint relief team of AMDA Haiti-Japan continued to work in Centre Sante de Moron in Moron City located in the west.



â– 20 October 2016:
At WHO Health Cluster Meeting held at St. Antoine de Jeremie Hospital, AMDA doctor reported the shortage of medical staff and the lack of medicine and food supplies at the hospital in Moron. UNOCHA highly evaluated AMDA for its food distribution which was aimed at improving malnutrition among cholera patients 

Likewise, AMDA, again, organized the soup distribution that night. It was well appreciated as a lot of patients couldn’t eat well due to their health condition.

On 20 October, 51 among 67 patients were infected with cholera (15 children and 36 adults) at the Moron hospital. The number of patients had increased by 17 from the previous day and the facility was literally overflowing. On that day alone, the team saw more than 30 cholera patients. 

It is also worth noting that WHO’s medical supplies didn’t seem to reach outside Port-au-Prince, at least not to Moron. The local aid goods had already run out in the capital so that the procurement of relief goods was virtually impossible. 


â– 21 October 2016: 
As per the inquiry from the health ministry’s cholera section in Jeremie, AMDA was asked to continue its relief work focusing on health-related issues and food distribution. Accordingly, AMDA Haiti members helped maintain the sanitary condition at a new cholera treatment center set in the city of Marfranc. The team also distributed food items at a hospital in Lemaire. After all, it was later decided that the cholera patients would be transferred from the Moron hospital to Lemaire. Simply put, there were just too many patients for one hospital to handle. 

Along with the said soup distribution which had been held almost daily, some aid goods such as medicine or ORS started to arrive from other NGOs. 
 

â– 22 October 2016
The team went to see the cholera facility in Marfranc. After moving back to the hospital in Moron, all of the cholera patients had already been transferred to Lemaire. Hence, the team prepared meals for the patients to be distributed at the hospital. 

The team also donated medical items including hemomanometer, thermometer, medicine and shoe covers to the hospital in Moron.
 

â– 23-24 October 2016
AMDA team returned to Port-au-Prince on the 23rd and made a courtesy visit to the Embassy of Japan on the following day. They reported AMDA’s work to His Excellency Yoshiaki Hatta, the Japanese Ambassador to Haiti, that the relief was well coordinated with the health ministry’s cholera section. 

After that, the team visited the health ministry to report on AMDA’s activities. The officers at the ministry had already known AMDA for its relief work for the 2010 earthquake. At this time, AMDA was highly praised for its extensive work, which not only provided medical assistance but also included food distribution.

The Japanese team left Haiti on the 25th. AMDA Haiti took over the activities and carried on with the mission until the 29th in both Marfranc and Lemaire.