Washington, D.C. – January 20, 2010 – United States Public Health Service Captain Andy Stevermer, Commander of the Incident Response Coordination Team for the Department of Health and Human Services spoke at the White House Wednesday detailing the current U.S. role in assisting with the crisis in Haiti.

Stevermer said, “We are just a part of the international medical response, and we are working as quickly as possible to save lives and to provide immediate medical care here in Haiti.”  He elaborated on the depth of assistance, “ We currently have more than 270 medical personnel in Port-au-Prince, which include doctors, nurses, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and others.  These members work for the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Disaster Medical System.  They have taken time out of their daily jobs in the U.S. to come here and to assist with the relief efforts.”

Medical teams have been seeing patients since Sunday assisting 5,100 people since that time.  The effort currently has five disaster medical assistance teams and one international medical surgical response team in Port-au-Prince. Those teams are currently engaged treating, triaging, and conducting surgery for patients.  The most common medical problems which are being treated are traumatic injuries from the earthquake and exacerbations of chronic disease caused by lack of access to care and lack of access to care. 

Yesterday, said Stevermer, a large hospital ship, the USN Comfort, arrived from Baltimore with more than 600 medical persons on board, bringing a tremendous capability to the people of Haiti.  Patients are being triaged and prepared to board the U.S. Comfort via helicopter.

“One of our disaster medical assistance teams is working as a staging facility at a pier here in Port-au-Prince to triage patients who will then fly by helicopter for treatment aboard the Comfort,” said Stevermer.  “Another of our disaster medical assistance teams and our surgical team are currently working on a large soccer field near the GHESKIO clinic here in Port-au-Prince and have been active for the past three days. ”

Additional teams providing relief for overwhelmed hospitals in Port-au-Prince.  This activity is being done at the direction of and in full coordination with the Haitian Ministry of Health, the United States’ Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense. 

According to Stevermer, two planeloads of medical supplies and medical equipment arrived in Haiti yesterday, and the bulk of which have already been distributed to the sites where care is being provided.   Health and Human Services has provided, through the USAID, a surgical cache of medical equipment and supplies that will be distributed to medical facilities in Haiti.

A day earlier, on Tuesday, Jan. 19, the UN Security Council members adopted a resolution introduced by the United States increasing the ceiling for security forces and police supporting the UN mission (2,500 more troops and 1,500 more police, for a total of 8,940 troops and 3,711 police). The airfield is open for 24/7 operations and has a 120-aircraft per day capacity (up from 100).

• The major focus of these military efforts has been establishing water distribution sites, and delivering fuel, food, and medicine.
• As of Tuesday, approximately 12,000 (8,000 afloat and 4,000 ashore) military personnel were a part of the relief effort.
• As of January 19, There were 18 U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard ships and 49 helicopters deployed.  Five Coast Guard cutters are in the area, joining a host of Coast Guard assets in the area working day and night to support military air traffic control, conduct damage assessments and rescue people in need of assistance.
• 3 additional cutters — Mohawk, Tahoma, and Valiant — have arrived in the area and are providing support and supplies.  Tahoma and Valiant are flight deck and communications coordination capable, and the Tahoma is loaded with water and medical supplies.
• The cutter Oak arrived in Port Au Prince and will deliver water and medical supplies in addition to conducting hydro surveys and service to Aids to Navigation. Oak has 20-ton operating crane built into it.
• The Crimson Clover, a covered, roll-on roll-off barge with two 46-foot extendable ramps and a top-loader for discharge operations, is in Port Au Prince and has begun unloading operations.
• 7 Coast Guard C-130 airplanes are conducting evacuations of U.S. personnel and other support services as directed by the U.S. Embassy; a Coast Guard C-144 is conducting airborne surveillance and imagery of the port; and 5 Coast Guard helicopters are conducting evacuations and other support.

There are several hundred Americans in the United States in various stages of the process of adopting Haitian children.  The Departments of State and Homeland Security are working with the Haitian Government to determine solutions in each of those cases.  Secretary Hillary Clinton said Tuesday at the State Department, “We are coordinating closely with the Haitian government, the United Nations, our other international partners, and NGOs on the ground to ensure that aid reaches Haiti’s orphanages and that newly orphaned children are accounted for and cared for…We will also do everything we can to reunite the many children and families who have become separated in the aftermath of the earthquake. And this is a crucial point: we have to be very careful not to exacerbate this difficult situation by removing children from Haiti who might have surviving family members. We will not let red tape stand in the way of helping those in need, but we will ensure that international adoption procedures to protect children and families are followed.”

-Vermont Daily News report and White House Press Briefing

  

How to Help Support Relief Efforts

• Contribute online through ClintonBushHaitiFund.org.
• Text “QUAKE” to 20222 to charge a $10 donation to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (the donation will be added to your cell phone bill).
• Find more ways to help through the Center for International Disaster Information (www.cidi.org).

Get Information about Friends or Family

• The State Department Operations Center has set up the following phone number for Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747 (due to heavy volume, some callers may receive a recording).  You can also send an email to the State Department.  Please be aware that communications within Haiti are very difficult at this time.