Infectious Disease Is Haiti’s Top Concern

Bed sheets are turned into slings and tourniquets. Amputations without pain medication. Rationing water. These are just a few of the Haiti earthquake aftermath that the government and the Haitians themselves must face. But the already ill situation will worsen in the coming days as infectious diseases are expected to show their face.

This concern is top in Haiti as there is but very limited supply of clean and safe water, which is a primary necessity. Farshad Rastegar, CEO of Los Angeles-based Relief International, said “More people die in the aftermath of a disaster from dirty or bad water than anything else.” The condition is aggravated by the fact that about 300,000 homeless people have nowhere else to go but cluster in streets and public places where there is no clean water or sanitation, not even food.

The terrible condition of the Haitians left them vulnerable to diseases. Diarrheal and respiratory diseases will abound as people ingest contaminated food and water. Decomposing bodies will also likely bring health problems. And as the country is known to be an impoverished country, experts see that malnourished residents will undoubtedly catch communicable ailments and pass them to others.

Haitians can only hope for emergency relief and medical aid from the neighboring countries and internationally. But the unknown number of those in need is hard to calculate, and getting supplies to where they are badly needed proves a real challenge. Help has arrived. Medical supplies, operating rooms and water purifiers are in Haiti but volunteers cannot take them deeper into communities easily. For the moment, doctors and nurses are doing everything to help the injured. More health care workers in nursing uniforms and lab coats are also coming to aid.