Caritas Christi Launches Relief Effort in Haiti

Thursday, January 21, 2010

A plane bound for Haiti left Hanscom Field yesterday, carrying a team of 12 Caritas Christi clinicians who will use nearly $3 million of donated medical equipment and supplies to care for people in need of medical assistance in the earthquake ravaged country.

Philips Healthcare, a longstanding partner of Caritas Christi, donated nearly $1 million and Caritas Christi and other donors including Covidien and Siemens provided an additional $2 million of supplies and funding toward the effort. 

The Caritas team, led by Mark Pearlmutter, MD, Chief of Emergency Medicine for Caritas Christi, departed on a privately chartered jet provided by John Fish of Suffolk Construction.  The team’s destination is the Sacre Coeur Hospital in Milot, Haiti, north of Port-au-Prince, where they will provide care to those in need.  The 12 clinicians are now on the ground in Haiti, and have begun to establish operations.  A video of the team’s departure can be viewed on necn.com, and will be posted to our home page as well.

The team will be using a variety of donated medical products including: OR monitors, vital signs monitors, defibrillators, fetal monitors, cardiac equipment, ventilators, medications, medical supplies and other supplies and equipment.   The group is traveling with technology to establish real-time communication and consultation capability on-site, allowing them to consult with Caritas Christi specialists in Boston.

The initial team of 12 will be in Haiti for a week to 10 days when, if there is a need, we hope to replace them with a relief team.  We continue to invite interested staff and community clinicians to be a part of a possible future team.  Please see the list of criteria attached to this email and, if you are interested, fill out the attached form and send to Pat Mahoney Patricia.Mahoney@caritaschristi.org.

Financial donations to this effort are welcome.  Checks can be made payable to Caritas Christi Haiti Relief and can be sent to Sister Marie Puleo, MFIC, Senior Vice President for Mission for Caritas Christi, Brighton Marine Health Center, 77 Warren St., Brighton, MA 02135.
 
We are pleased to be able to reach beyond our own service community and extend our aid and support to the people of Haiti who are so in need.