CMAT Assessment Team arrives in Port-au-Prince
Assessment team leaving Miami for Port au Prince. — with David Johnson, Valerie Rzepka, Sandra Hodge, Bill Coltart and Ryan Thorburn.Assessment team leaving Miami for Port au Prince. — with David Johnson, Valerie Rzepka, Sandra Hodge, Chris Kaley, Bill Coltart and Ryan Thorburn.
Saturday, January 16, 2010 – Port-au-Prince – CMAT reported that at approximately 6:45pm (Eastern time) the first CMAT assessment team safely arrived at Port-Au-Prince. The team is the first of many that will rotate through Haiti to provide much needed medical assistance and support to the local Haitians affected by the devastating quake. It is estimated that as many as 200,000 persons have died. Over 3 million Haitians are in need of assistance – food, water, shelter and medical support.
CMAT Team #1 is stationed at the UN compound and will coordinate relief efforts with other local and international NGOs. Some members of Team #1 also rotated through Muzzaffarabad, Pakistan in that quake of 2005 which killed more than 90,000 persons.
The Assessment Team members are:
- Bill Coltart, Paramedic (CMAT Director) – Comox, BC
- Valerie Rzepka, RN (CMAT Executive Director) – Toronto, ON
- Chris Kaley, Paramedic (CMAT Director) – Squamish, BC
- Dave Johnson, Search and Rescue Logistician – Vancouver, BC
- Sandra Hodge, NP – Vailmount, BC
- Ryan Thorburn, Paramedic – Courtenay, BC.
Port au Prince, the capitol of Haiti, was largely destroyed in the earthquake.
The team arrives ahead of a second 9-member team who will arrive via donated charter aircraft from Toronto Pearson International airport direct to Port-Au-Prince departing Monday morning. Team #2 will arrive with a full cargo of medical supplies and the CMAT inflatable field hospital.
CMAT urgently appeals to all individuals to generously donate to support the team in its efforts to help the Haitian people.
View A News Vancouver Island’s coverage- “Medical team bound for Haiti” here.
