Canadian Medical Assistance Teams arrive in Léogâne, Haiti
Orthopaedic Surgeon and Anesthetist among medical volunteers setting up field hospital in devastated region
CMAT Paramedic Ryan Thorburn assesses the earthquake damage in some of the buildings in Port au Prince, Haiti.
TORONTO, January 19, 2010 – Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT)’s second team of medical volunteers arrived safely in Port-au-Prince, Haiti late Monday evening. The team departed Toronto’s Pearson International Airport early yesterday en route to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and was transported by bus to the earthquake affected area of Port-au-Prince.
An Orthopedic surgeon and an Anesthesiologist are among the medical volunteers deployed yesterday.
CMAT’s initial assessment team greeted the incoming volunteers last evening and both teams traveled this morning from the Port-au-Prince airport base with the field hospital equipment arriving early this afternoon in the Léogâne region, approximately 35 km from Port-au-Prince with security escort.
CMAT Paramedic Ryan Thorburn discusses findings with Search and Rescue Logistician Dave Johnson.
“The city of Léogâne, which has a population of 134,000, is about 80% devastated, including a 5-story nursing school” reports Valerie Rzepka, Registered Nurse and CMAT Executive Director, who is a member of CMAT’s assessment team stationed in Haiti. “The people here experienced many traumatic fractures and wounds. Supplies are very limited. There are many surgeries which we hope we will able to provide within the field hospital.”
CMAT’s medical assistance teams are working closely with the Canadian Forces in the Léogâne region and secured a permanent location for the field hospital this afternoon. Over the coming weeks CMAT is expecting to rotate medical teams in and out of the area.
CMAT’s medical volunteer team members who are now on-the-ground in Haiti include:
CMAT Initial Assessment Team:
- Valerie Rzepka: Registered Nurse and CMAT Executive Director from Toronto, ON.
- Bill Coltart, Paramedic and CMAT Director from Comox, BC.
- Sandra Hodge, Registered Nurse from Jasper, AB
- Chris Kaley, Paramedic and CMAT Director from Squamish, BC
- Ryan Thorburn, Paramedic from Comox, BC.
- Dave Johnson, Search and Rescue and general logistics, Vancouver, BC.
CMAT Deployment Team #1
- Carolyn Davies, Nurse Practitioner and CMAT Team Leader from Amherstburg, ON
- Kelly Churchill, ACP Paramedic, from Burnaby, BC
- Dr. Ray Markham, Physician from Valemount, BC
- Aric Rankin, Registered Nurse, from London, ON
- Martin Metz, PCP Paramedic, from Courtenay, BC
- Dr. Josef Owega, Physician, from McBride, BC,
- Olivia June Soukup, Registered Nurse, from Camrose, AB
- Maida Mrakovic, Registered Nurse, from Mississauga, ON
- Dr. Donna Johnson, Orthopaedic Surgeon from Vancouver, BC
- Dr. Kathryn Bennett, Anesthesiologist, Vancouver, BC
Media Interview Opportunity:
Members of the CMAT team in Haiti are available for interviews via satellite phone or on location.
To request and coordinate an interview, please contact Shari Balga, CMAT Media Relations at 416-727-4101 / [email protected]
CMAT is urgently making an appeal and asking for your help and generosity by making a donation to support our medical teams in their efforts to assist the Haitian people. To make a donation, please visit: www.canadianmedicalteams.org
For further information or to schedule an interview, please contact:
Shari Balga
Media Relations
Canadian Medical Assistance Teams
416-727-4101
[email protected]
