Sports blog: Stamford Sports Scene
Sign up for Breaking News Alerts!

By JAMES NASH

Times Correspondent


STAMFORD -- Dr. David Reed was at Stamford Hospital's Tully Health Center Friday morning showing photographs of the destruction he encountered on a recent trip with hospital staff to Haiti, where the team had set up a makeshift clinic to treat victims of that country's devastating earthquake.

"It's not where I imagined we would set up a clinic," Reed said. "We turned an alley into a clinic. People were complaining about headaches, stomach aches, non-specific anxiety. Over the course of six days, we saw 734 patients."

Medical supplies and assistance were scarce, but local nurses helped establish triage procedures, and through contact with AmeriCares, antibiotics were secured and the clinic functioned.

"Pretty soon we had a pretty decent pharmacy," Reed said.

What they didn't have and sorely needed was a way to view the broken bones and internal injuries of their patients. And neither did physicians from the Doctors Without Borders, who were caring for the injured underneath cloth canopies.

"They were delivering babies, doing surgery. That's what happens in these kinds of situations," Reed said.

Back home, people got the word. Through a partnership with Stamford Hospital, FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA and AmeriCares, doctors in Haiti will soon be able to better treat patients.

On display at the Tully Health Center was the FCR Go, the approximately $200,000 digital X-ray system Fujifilm is donating to the Haitian relief effort and turning over to AmeriCares for shipment to Haiti. About the size of a food vendor's cart, the system can be wheeled around tight spaces, and images can be transferred to a flash drive and displayed on any computer.

"It is very rewarding for us for everyone at Fuji to be able to make a contribution like this to the people of Haiti," said Fujifilm Senior Vice President Paul Genovese.

AmeriCares spokeswoman Peggy Atherlay said the FCR Go would soon be on the move.

"Fuji is going to deliver it to our warehouse today," Atherlay said. "We're flying it down to Miami. From there, it will go on an airplane to Port au-Prince."

Stamford Hospital technologist and Haiti native Elourde Joseph will be traveling to Haiti to administer the machine and provide instruction to technicians there.

Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said immediately after the earthquake in Haiti, a committee was formed and financial arrangements were made to handle contributions and pledges to Haitian relief.

"We are a city that cares," Pavia said. "Anytime we need to step forward, we will. We will do that diligently. This makes me very, very proud."

Ann Giuli, a Stamford Hospital registered nurse, traveled with the team to Haiti.

"What has not come across is the strength of the people, their resilience," Giuli said. "They're ready to do the work."

Congressman Jim Himes, D-4, spoke about the quick and generous response to the Haitian disaster.

"To address a need by a doctor on the ground is just incredible. Here a doctor says, 'We need this,' and a corporation says, 'We got it.' The amazing thing about this is, even though in the U.S. and around the world people are hurting, everyone is stepping up in a major way. You can't prepare for these things. They just happen, and AmeriCares has been there."

Himes cautioned that help will be needed after the cameras have left Haiti and attention has shifted.

Carol Shattuck, AmeriCares chief of staff, described the "almost complete devastation" in Haiti as a "war without the shooting." She said her organization's commitment has been continuous and will be long-lasting.

"We've been there since the early 80s," Shattuck said. "We'll be there to help rebuild Haiti."

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in The Stamford Times community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines. Basically, be civil, smart, on-topic and free from profanity. Don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read! And remember: We may miss some, so we need your help to police these comments. Please identify the comment, the story and why you think it's objectionable.
Read the commenting guidelines

Add a new comment