News / Americas

Haitian Hospitals Struggle with Flood of Injured

International aid is streaming into Haiti following Tuesday's massive earthquake that has left the capital Port-au-Prince in ruins

Image courtesy Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) provided shows the offices of MSF in the Petion Ville neighborhood of Port-Au-Prince, which has been transformed into a makeshift hospital, 13 Jan 2010
Image courtesy Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) provided shows the offices of MSF in the Petion Ville neighborhood of Port-Au-Prince, which has been transformed into a makeshift hospital, 13 Jan 2010
TEXT SIZE - +

Hospitals in Haiti are struggling to cope with the flood of people injured in Tuesday's earthquake, as bodies pile up in severely damaged areas. International aid is streaming into the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, in response to the crisis.

Injured people continue to arrive at hospitals in Port-au-Prince, where medical teams are working to care for the large numbers affected by Tuesday's massive earthquake.

Several young men were carrying an injured young woman as they rushed into a hospital near the international airport, late Wednesday.  Several patients with bandaged arms and hands sat in the grass in front of the hospital.  Across the yard, several dozen bodies were laid out, covered in sheets or placed in the back of pick-up trucks.

A small group of people gathered in front of the hospital, including some awaiting information on injured relatives and others drawn to one of the few buildings with electricity.

Huge swaths of the capital remained in darkness as a result of widespread power failures. The majority of buildings in one neighborhood appeared to be intact, but other structures were totally destroyed. A line of bodies filled the sidewalk in front of a large police station that was leveled in the quake.

At the airport, a stream of cargo planes arrived, carrying international rescue teams and supplies from the United States, Brazil, Iceland and other countries. An American military plane unloaded a team of Air Force soldiers from Florida, while a Coast Guard plane loaded a group of U.S. teens on an evacuation flight.

Vadim Stefanyuk was traveling with the religious group, which cut short its work in Haiti because of the quake. He said he and a few others were traveling in a truck through the city when the quake hit.

Stefanuk said "There were quite a lot of bodies, a lot of screaming, a lot of just panic.  People just confused about what to do.  A lot of the roads got blocked off.  Walls would fall and we couldn't drive. We had to leave the trucks and we took the luggage with us."

In Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cut short her participation in a meeting with her Asian counterparts to focus on the U.S. response to the quake in Haiti.
 

You May Like

Video Star Trek Influence Lives Long and Prospers

As new movie thrills, many are once again discussing the iconic franchise's influence on society, science and technology More

OECD: Developing Green Cities Key to Sustainable Future

OECD suggests strategies to mitigate rapid growth, industrialization in urban centers, which produce about two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions More

Video Safe Rooms Saved Lives in Tornado Disaster

Safety experts say more safe rooms are needed in areas where tornadoes frequently strike More

This forum has been closed.
Comments
     
There are no comments in this forum. Be first and add one

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Video

Video Volunteers Help Revive LA's Concrete River

The Los Angeles River is a concrete drainage channel through much of its 80-kilometer length. It channels waste-water from storm drains and has become a receptacle for much of the city's trash. But as Mike O'Sullivan reports, the river is slowly being restored with the help of volunteers, who take part in an annual clean-up.

More Americas News

Video Free Market Reforms Needed to Fix Venezuela's Socialist Economic Problems

High inflation, shortage of staple goods are leading many on both sides of this politically-divided country to question its current economic course
More

Shakespeare's Sonnets Come to Life in New App

Created by Britain's Touch Press, the app features commentary, information, and aims to bring the bard's sonnets to the masses
More

Scientists Ponder Damage to Water System

Scientists meet in Bonn on human effects on freshwater
More

Poor Countries Lack Modern Contraception

Guttmacher Institute says many couples now desire smaller families
More

Indian, Brazilian Nationals Sentenced in US for Human Smuggling

Prosecutors say the two charged Indian citizens up to $60,000 for providing them passage into the United States
More

Former Argentine Dictator Videla Dies in Prison

Rights expert says 'dirty war' secrets die with 87-year-old military junta chief, who was unrepentant to end about kidnappings, killings
More