MHA and DPH to Coordinate Conference Call With Providers on Hospital Community's Haiti Relief Efforts

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, in conjunction with MHA, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, has scheduled a conference call about the Haiti Earthquake and the humanitarian relief efforts for Thursday January 21, 2010 at 9:00 a.m.

Thursday's conference call will outline state-level response efforts, discuss guidance from federal agencies, review the ways in which individuals and organizations may assist in the relief efforts, and accept comments, questions, and suggestions from conference call participants.  MHA is also working with other groups who are looking to put together a list of surplus equipment and other durable goods that hospitals can donate to assist those in Haiti with rebuilding over the next several months.  Please stay tuned for more information about those efforts as well.  

Many people and organizations continue to be struck by the magnitude of this disaster and feel the need to respond to the humanitarian crisis that is developing. Although it has been more than a week since the earthquake, there remains a great deal of ambiguity about the situation in Haiti, and details about the specific needs of the community are still not completely clear. What has gradually become clear, however, is that the two largest challenges facing the relief efforts are the difficulties of getting donations into Haiti and then the difficulties in effectively distributing the equipment and supplies once they arrive in country. The country's infrastructure and distribution mechanisms are the limiting factors in providing food, water and medical care to the Haitian people, not a lack of donated equipment and supplies.

For those individuals and organizations that are able, the most immediate means of providing assistance remains monetary donations to organizations like Partners in Health (www.pih.org) or the Red Cross (www.redcross.org).  The Massachusetts 2-1-1 call center (http://www.mass211.org/) is active and includes information about Haiti for Massachusetts residents that are looking for loved ones or ways in which they can provide assistance, including information about PIH, the Red Cross, and a wide variety of other organizations that are assisting in the humanitarian response efforts.

For those who are still interested in contributing equipment or supplies to assist in the relief efforts, please be aware that it will likely be weeks before goods can be collected and organized locally, shipped to Haiti, and then effectively distributed to the Haitian people. DPH has sent out a survey about equipment and supplies that healthcare organizations might be willing to donate to assist in the Haiti Earthquake relief efforts.

If you have any questions or concerns about the upcoming conference call or this survey, please email DPH’s Emergency Preparedness Bureau at DPH.EmergencyPreparedness@state.ma.us.

Thank you.