UNifeed: HAITI / MEDICAL SUPPLIES

HAITI / MEDICAL SUPPLIES

Haitian authorities, health providers and donor countries are providing tons of medicines to scores of health partners on a daily basis through a large-scale coordinated effort run out of the country's pharmaceuticals hub in the capital, Port-au-Prince. WHO

Duration:03:09Date:05 February 2010

Categories:

World Health Organization, SPECIAL HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS, HAITI

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Full Script

STORY: HAITI / MEDICAL SUPPLIES 
TRT: 3.09 
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / NATS

DATE: 31 JANUARY, 1 FEBRUARY 2010, HAITI

SHOTLIST:

1. Close-up of PROMESS sign
2. Wide shot of PROMESS warehouse from street
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Dr Henriette Chamouillet, Haiti representative, WHO: 
“Since the earthquake we have not stopped distributing medicines. From the first day, we started distributing to 4 or 5 or 6 associations and now we have 100 a day. We distribute to public hospitals, private hospitals, international aid whoever they are. We have practically never stopped distributing to everyone.”
4. Pan right, PROMESS warehouse from inside
5. Wide shot, surrounding areas from PROMESS panning around to the building
6. Wide shot, boxes
7. Various shots, people sorting through boxes, and moving boxes on trailer, 
8. SOUNDBITE (French) of WHO Haiti representative, Dr Henriette Chamouillet: 
“We need two types of medical equipment: emergency equipment for orthopaedics and we continue to need medical equipment for orthopaedic surgery but also equipment for the patients that is to say for example external fixators for fractures that till now have not all been treated so it is probably necessary to treat them or re-treat them so we need heavy material that is expensive. This is equipment for the patients, but we also need medical equipment to rebuild health centres and hospitals because a large part of this equipment has been destroyed. For example sterilisers have fallen and are broken, we will need autoclaves, operating tables, delivery and bandaging beds, and a lot of other equipment and we have already begun to prepare orders to receive that equipment as soon as possible.”
9. Wide shot, aeroplane on tarmac
10. Various shots, boxes with medical supplies on tarmac 
11. Various shots, logistics staff  organizing boxes
12. Wide shot, truck unloading material

STORYLINE:

To meet the enormous health challenges posed by the 12 January earthquake, Haitian authorities, health providers and donor countries have been providing tons medicines to scores of health partners on a daily basis through a large-scale coordinated effort run out of the country's pharmaceuticals hub in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

From 16-21 January alone, 483,091 kg of pharmaceutical supplies, 38,728 kg of water and sanitation materials and 4990 kg of non-pharmaceutical health supplies, like rubber gloves and masks, arrived at Port-au-Prince airport.

SOUNDBITE (French) Dr Henriette Chamouillet, Haiti representative, WHO: 
“Since the earthquake we have not stopped distributing medicines. From the first day, we started distributing to 4 or 5 or 6 associations and now we have 100 a day. We distribute to public hospitals, private hospitals, international aid whoever they are. We have practically never stopped distributing to everyone.”

Organizing these donations through Haiti's central pharmaceutical store, known as PROMESS (Program on Essential Medicine and Supplies), is one of the least visible but more vital tasks for humanitarian workers following the earthquake.

Operations for the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization country office are run out of PROMESS and in days following the quake, when roads were blocked with rubble, WHO/PAHO staff went on foot carrying drugs from PROMESS to deliver them to UN and nongovernmental organization partners working in health.

As the humanitarian operation intensified, more and more shipments of medical supplies started arriving at Port-au-Prince airport, located close to PROMESS. But as days go by and patients therapies are extended, there is a growing need for more medical supplies,

SOUNDBITE (French) of WHO Haiti representative, Dr Henriette Chamouillet: 
“We need two types of medical equipment: emergency equipment for orthopaedics and we continue to need medical equipment for orthopaedic surgery but also equipment for the patients that is to say for example external fixators for fractures that till now have not all been treated so it is probably necessary to treat them or re-treat them so we need heavy material that is expensive. This is equipment for the patients, but we also need medical equipment to rebuild health centres and hospitals because a large part of this equipment has been destroyed. For example sterilisers have fallen and are broken, we will need autoclaves, operating tables, delivery and bandaging beds, and a lot of other equipment and we have already begun to prepare orders to receive that equipment as soon as possible.”

To meet the increased logistical challenges, WHO is running a program to coordinate all donations from many governments into a single system to ensure medicines are delivered as quickly as possible to where they are needed.

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