Dr Mona Rigaud AMHE Team Leader

Dr Mona Rigaud specialist in Infectious diseases at New York University is the Team leader of the group of 13 volunteers deployed to Haiti by Nebraska university. They will spend a few days at the General Hospital .
We have identified 4 Nebraska Team health care providers who may be of most help at the General Hospital:
Dr. Alan Richards (head and neck/genseral surgery), Trauma PA Frank Cowden (a colleague of Dr. Greg Casey from Michigan), and Nebraska nurses Meg Circo (Pacu extended stay) and Patty Swanson (ER). They anticipate coming to the General Hospital each day for the three days to help and assess current needs.
Dr Rigaud will work at the HIV clinic of HUEH General Hospital.
 

A letter from an AMHE member to the WISCONSIN community.

My fellow Physicians, Nurses, Friends, Patients, and Community Members:
 
I am sure that by now, you have heard about the earthquake that devastated Haiti. I know that many of you have been affected by the images you have seen.  My family has been impacted in a personal way as well.  I was born in Haiti and have some relatives and family friends who reside in Haiti. I was raised there until I was 12 years old but “Haiti is in my blood.”  
My name is Dr. Junith Thompson and I have been an OB/GYN physician in Kenosha, Wisconsin for more than 20 years. Over the years I have donated medical supplies to Haiti and I am planning to return to aid in the humanitarian relief effort.    
Haitians are facing an extreme shortage of medical supplies, clean water, food, and shelter. I created the “I Helped Haiti” campaign to keep Haiti’s relief efforts at the forefront of our minds and provide the necessary supplies to help Haitians rise above this crisis. We are distributing “I Helped Haiti” buttons to those who contribute to this effort. No amount is too small. We will continue this campaign as the disaster in Haiti will require a long-term rebuilding effort. You may deliver your donations in person or mail it to my office at the address below.
Proceeds will be donated to the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA www.adra.org/haiti) and the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad (L'Association des Médecins Haïtiens à l'Etranger – AMHE www.amhe.org/). In 2004 I traveled with AMHE physicians on a relief mission to Haiti and helped with patient care in hospitals. We would like to return and aid with the relief effort. AMHE is gathering supplies to send to Haiti and organizing Haitian physicians to travel there. The AMHE Relief Mission will set up a permanent rotation of Haitian physicians from around the world. ADRA is a Christian organization involved with international disaster relief and is in Haiti providing housing, medical assistance, food, and drinking water.
In AMHE’s letter addressing the Haitian physician community, they noted:
“Major problems facing the citizens of Haiti remain: 1) dehydration, 2) bleeding, 3) crush injuries, 4) eye injuries 5) fractures and dislocations, 7) respiratory ailments, 8) risks for infection (diarrheas), and 9) acute depression.
The organization is looking for IV fluids, Medicines including antibiotics and anti-diarrheal, peritoneal and hemodialysis materials to be shipped immediately. Because of complications of crush injuries, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are needed. The University Hospital of Haiti (HUEH) has a four machine hemodialysis unit not very functional in normal time (our own assessment from December 2009). Therefore supplies would be essential for allowing a smooth operation Point of care testing for creatinine, potassium, sodium, and glucose would also be needed (abbottpointofcare.com/istat/).”
Thank you for your support of the Haitian people and all that you do. We have been deeply touched by the generosity of people like you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Junith Monereau Thompson
L’Union Fait La Force.
In Unity There Is Strength.