El Paso Doctor In Haiti Talks About 5.9 Quake, Challenges Facing Mission

El Paso, Texas – Dr. Marco Diaz and Dr. Leonardo Loaiza, both assistant professors at Texas Tech University Health Science Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, are in Haiti to help victims of last week’s earthquake.

The doctors, who were contacted by the U.S. Coast Guard to help, arrived in Haiti this week.

Here is Diaz’s account of what he and Loaiza are encountering in Haiti, including today’s 5.9 earthquake.

“First and foremost thank you all for your concerns. We are okay. There was an aftershock this morning which (led) to absolute pandemonium here in the hospital. Leo and I were still working the ER when it hit. The entire hospital frantically evacuated in 5 min. It was chaos.

Family members of the wounded were hastily dragging the patients out into the yard. It was the (most) moving and tragic thing I have ever seen. The place erupted into a panic. Fortunately, the structural integrity of our facility remained intact and no one was hurt.

Thus marked the end of our first night here. As Leo has probably mentioned we have been placed in charge of the hospital at night caring for 250 patients and the ER. Last night, we suffered our first death. A young man who had undergone a LUE amputation who subsequently developed acute renal failure post – op. We tried desperately to design a makeshift central line which we eventually got but were too late. Obviously, lack of supplies is fast becoming evident.

We also witnessed our first case of tetanus in a gentleman with an open fracture dislocation of his left ankle waiting for surgery since the initial quake. We have several spine patients as well.

We have encountered several patients with complications from wounds that should not have been closed. As some of you may know several young military personnel without medical training went out to streets 2-3 days after the quake and began suturing at will. While good intentioned, it has(led) to rather impressive complications.

I do have some a story of hope. Last night we encountered one such patient who had a previously undetected SDH from a huge laceration to scalp which had been sutured and subsequently became infected. Although not operated by neurosurgery he had the clots evacuated and defect repaired this AM and reportedly well. So there a sense of improving organization here.

But we are certainly short medical staff particularly nursing and non-surgical physicians. Also our supply of IV abx is quickly diminishing.

Well, thank you once again to everyone for their support and concerns.

Again we are okay and very glad to be here.

Take care and we will keep you updated.”