Haitians struggle as cholera strikes
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The rainy season has slammed Haiti with another cholera outbreak -- an intestinal infection that causes vomiting and diarrhea.
The 80-bed Hopital Albert Schweitzer in rural Deschappelles, Haiti, now is treating hordes of impoverished patients, some of them walking eight hours to reach its Cholera Treatment Center 70 miles north of Port-au-Prince.
Founded by Pittsburgh's Larimer and Gwen Mellon more than 50 years ago, the hospital continues receiving funding through the Pittsburgh-based Grant Foundation and other local sources.
But it's not seeking additional donations to help stem the outbreak, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said has caused 321,066 cases in Haiti since May 29, with 5,337 deaths.
"The reality is very harsh," said Ian G. Rawson, the hospital's managing director in an email distributed Thursday. Arrival of the rainy season in the Caribbean nation has brought with it "a sudden surge of deadly cholera."
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"It is a dire situation, and we are working all-out to manage this deadly outbreak," Dr. Rawson said. The hospital also is seeking short-term volunteer physicians and nurses for relief.
Just weeks ago, the hospital's Cholera Treatment Center was averaging 15 to 20 patients a day. But the number swelled to 50 on Monday, increased to 75 by Wednesday and reached 85 on Friday. Hospital officials said patient census could top 110 and match totals realized last November, when the cholera outbreak first occurred.
"It rained for two weeks straight, and last Saturday we had an explosion of patients in the cholera ward," said Carolyn Weinrobe, a 27-year-old Boston native who serves as the hospital's program manager for community health.
First Published June 11, 2011 12:00 am
