Haiti relief

I'm watching the Haiti relief concert [okay, well, I didn't watch Taylor Swift or Sheryl Crow], and Dr. Gupta's piece about the complete lack of surgical supplies breaks my heart. As a surgical RN, I KNOW my hospital has supplies that they are not using, but are refusing to send to Haiti because they are concerned about liability.

That there sums up everything that is wrong with the USA. When it is all boiled down, we aren't really concerned about making a difference and helping people in their deepest hour of need. All we're concerned about is the possibility of being sued by a Haitian earthquake survivor. Something tells me that someone who has survived the terror and devastation of the past week in Haiti is not concerned about the potential of their surgical supplies not being up to American standards. For goodness sake, they are using the most basic of supplies now:

"At some of the hospitals and clinics now treating survivors, the conditions are as basic as can be, with vodka to sterilize instruments and health workers going to the market to buy hacksaws for amputations."

The supplies sitting in the warehouse at my hospital aren't helping anyone. It's been taken to the CEO of the hospital, but it all comes back as liability. Here is an opportunity for a health care organization that at least to me, does not have a very positive humanitarian image, but they aren't stepping up to the plate. It is infuriating.

At this point, the best way to donate to the Haitian relief effort is to donate money. I suggest Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, The American Red Cross, or Oxfam America. If you text "Haiti" to 90999, $10 will be donated to the Red Cross for Haitian relief, and the charge will be added to your cell phone book.

Help these people rebuild their lives, their homes, and their world.

As one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation. --William Bradford

peace and love,

m