Even though the situation seems under control in the capital Port-au-Prince, the concern is great for rural areas affected by floods. Alain Le Garnec, coordinator of Medecins du Monde in Haiti noted that the rains were possible these days and many villages so far not accessible due to rising water level of rivers or of the slippery ground.
Médecins du Monde (MDM), one of the few medical assistance rates that are present in part of the "Grande Anse", southwest of the island, rings an alarm for rapid outbreak of the disease.
The number of patients in health centers who are hospitalized by our teams have quintupled within a week. Between May 31 and June 8, a total of 77 new cases admitted to the cholera treatment center (Centre de Traitement Choléra-CTC) in Moron.
MDM is ready to enter the CTC’s Hospital Jérémie in which 60 of the 90 beds are already occupied, and where already three deaths are mourned.
The situation of the area Goâve is also alarming. They are in the process of assignment of structures from the health authorities for the battle against cholera and as a new outbreak of disease in rural areas of Petit-Goâve and the Grand-Goâve has been found. Petit-Goâve know for 3 weeks a very significant increase in cases, a percentage that reaches beyond the "saturation". MDM mobilized to find human resources for 4 cholera treatment centers located in rural area of Grand-Goâve.
At the beginning of last week, 38 new cases were introduced in a single day in the center of the CTC Fonds-de-Nègres (in Nippes), while the total capacity of the center is measured at 40 beds. The situation however seems to be under control currently in this section.
Without the immediate mobilization of adequate resources (trained staff, equipment and medicines, financial mediums) and an effective coordination health factors that are present in Haiti, the situation will get worse. New deaths will be added to all 5,342 registered deceased by the epidemic in October 2010.
Present in Haiti since 1989, MDM support 6 health centers in Grande Anse, 2centers and2CTUsand formaternity benefits inruralareas. Since the adventof theepidemic,MDMhandled17,450cases of cholerainpartsof regionsGrande AnseandNippes,in the metropolitanareaofPort au Princeand communitiesofPetit-GoâveandGrand-Goâve. In these sameareasMDMmanage3 CTCs (Cholera Treatment Centres), 7 UTCs (cholera treatment units), variousjob positions in order to achieve hydration withdrinkingsolution applied bythetreatment unitsoperatedby the Ministry ofPublicHealthand Population(MSPP). In communityLéogâne,MDM are conductingawareness/ preventiontogetherwith localcommunities.