RDRTF : deuxième rapport
2nd Communication Report by R. Vanholder-ISN Renal Disaster Relief Task Force (RDRTF)
January 18, 2010
The first part of the assessment team of the Renal Disaster Relief Task Force of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN/RDRTF), a doctor, R. Caluwe and a nurse, S. Claus reached Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic, DR) in the evening of January 15 (local time) where they were welcomed by Dr. S. Rodriguez, President of the Dominican Society of Nephrology. They immediately continued by car in the direction of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where they arrived the same night; they started their mission immediately the day after. Two days later two other members of the team reached Port-au-Prince (a renal nurse, S. Maddens, and a dialysis technician, P. Stockman). Our team was incorporated in a large group of rescuers from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) which in total is composed of some 100 people.
All members of the team carried light material in their hand luggage (e.g. Kayexalate and dialysis catheters). A cargo with heavy material (4 dialysis machines, an inflatable hospital) left Europe already on January 16, but the carrying could not land in Haiti. The material was rerouted to Santo Domingo, DR, from where it was shipped to Port-au-Prince on smaller planes. The material reached there on January 17 in the evening. The problem is however to unload and transport the material within the city.
The team has been confronted with serious communication problems, whereby only sporadic contacts can be held by satellite phone (early morning, local time) and email (late evening, local time). No contact is up to now possible by mobile phone.
The situation with which our team is faced is dramatic.
suite
January 18, 2010
The first part of the assessment team of the Renal Disaster Relief Task Force of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN/RDRTF), a doctor, R. Caluwe and a nurse, S. Claus reached Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic, DR) in the evening of January 15 (local time) where they were welcomed by Dr. S. Rodriguez, President of the Dominican Society of Nephrology. They immediately continued by car in the direction of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where they arrived the same night; they started their mission immediately the day after. Two days later two other members of the team reached Port-au-Prince (a renal nurse, S. Maddens, and a dialysis technician, P. Stockman). Our team was incorporated in a large group of rescuers from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) which in total is composed of some 100 people.
All members of the team carried light material in their hand luggage (e.g. Kayexalate and dialysis catheters). A cargo with heavy material (4 dialysis machines, an inflatable hospital) left Europe already on January 16, but the carrying could not land in Haiti. The material was rerouted to Santo Domingo, DR, from where it was shipped to Port-au-Prince on smaller planes. The material reached there on January 17 in the evening. The problem is however to unload and transport the material within the city.
The team has been confronted with serious communication problems, whereby only sporadic contacts can be held by satellite phone (early morning, local time) and email (late evening, local time). No contact is up to now possible by mobile phone.
The situation with which our team is faced is dramatic.
suite
