January 12, 2010 at 16:53 Haiti Standard Time, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck 25 kilometres west of the Capital Port-au-Prince. It killed over 200,000 people and injured more than 300,000. Estimates suggest over 3.5 million people were affected.
Within 48 hours of the earthquake devastating Haiti, GlobalMedic’s Rapid Response Team was deployed to respond by providing humanitarian aid including clean water, hygiene items, field hospitals and medical aid.
200,000+ PEOPLE KILLED
MORE THAN 300,000 INJURIES
1.5 MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED
GlobalMedic’s Rapid Response Team began operations in Haiti on January 14, 2010, providing clean drinking water and medical aid to people in Port-au-Prince, Carrefour, Leogane, Petit Guave and Jacmel. The Doctor and Paramedics on the team immediately began working at the Adventist Hospital, assisting with general surgery, treating patients, setting fractures, performing amputations, and injecting antibiotics. In the immediate days after the earthquake, this 71 bed hospital was treating more than 500 patients a day.
As the response continued, GlobalMedic established two 22 foot by 42 foot Inflatable field hospitals operational in Carrefour, in the Adventist University which was home to approximately 15,000 registered IDPs with that number increasing at night when people sought refuge from unsafe streets. These hospitals were treating anywhere from 150 – 300 patients each day. Additionally, GlobalMedic began sending mobile medical teams into areas that were not receiving regular access to medical care.
Through the delivery of Aquatabs and 64 water purification systems, the RRT purified more than 1.6 million litres of clean drinking water. Some of the water purification systems were installed in permanent locations including hospitals, churches and IDP camps.
The RRT also established mobile water purification units. The local motorcycle team nicknamed the “Eagles” travelled to far reaching areas to provide clean drinking water to more than 10,000 people per day. Mobile Trekker water purification systems were strapped on the back of the motorcycles, which were the best means of transportation due to inaccessible roadways, and taken to remote areas to provide safe water.
Our other team nick-named “The Lions” continued to manage and maintain the larger water purification units located at the local University in Carrefour, providing for 15,000 people per day, as well as one mobile unit that travelled throughout different communities in Carrefour and Port-au-Prince.
