CURE International

I haven't worked with CURE specifically in the DR but I can tell you that that knowing the work that this organization does was part of what pushed me toward a career in medicine. If you don't know about CURE, you should. Their website is: http://www.cureinternational.org. At any rate, they are really involved with disaster relief efforts in Haiti at the moment and they have the ability to get into the country through the Dominican Republic. Here are the updates that I've received regarding their work and how you can help:

1/14/10 12:43am

CURE doctors in the Dominican Republic are rushing to help the people of Haiti after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince yesterday.

Next to search and rescue teams, the biggest need will be for surgeons and skilled medical professionals to treat the injured. CURE has already sent doctors from the CURE Dominican Republic hospital to the border to help and we are coordinating with other organizations on the ground to provide our medical expertise.

The effects of such a huge earthquake on Haiti, already one of the world’s poorest countries, are catastrophic. The people of Haiti need your help. Consider donating today to support CURE’s emergency response.

Please also pray for those affected by this disaster and for the safety of our staff as they respond.

1/17/10 2:03am

We received an update this morning from the team on the ground in Port au Prince, Haiti and wanted to pass it along to you.

As you can imagine, the conditions are extremely difficult. Our team of 5 arrived in Port au Prince on Thursday. Dr. Scott Nelson who is leading the team reported that he had to “sweet talk” the air controller to let their plane land. Things continue to be very chaotic at the airport.

The team was able to set up a base of operations at a local community hospital that is still functioning. They immediately began working to triage patients and began operating last night.

We learned today that our partner, MedShare, is sending 600 cases of basic supplies and all of the orthopedic items off of their shelves. This will be incredibly helpful as the team continues to provide care to the critically injured.

We just heard that a large team from Dallas including 9 doctors and 9 nurses along with much needed supplies landed a few hours ago. CURE now has two functioning surgical centers operating around the clock in Port au Prince.

Our CURE team is being well taken care of by the family of our Haitian pediatrician that works at CURE Dominican Republic. They have provided a place for the team to stay as well as making sure the team has the security it needs. The outpouring of gratitude from the Haitian people that they are seeing is overwhelming.

CURE is coordinating additional teams for next week along with the desperately needed supplies. We intend to remain in Port au Prince even after the immediate crisis phase has past. There will be continue to be a huge medical need for many months.

Follow the team's work at http://blog.helpcurenow.org.

To make a donation to support CURE's relief efforts in Haiti, go to www.helpcurenow.org/haitirelief.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

The Team at CURE