EARTHQUAKE RELIEF MISSION UPDATE - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010

FIELD UPDATE:
Our team continues to be lean and efficient in Haiti. They delivered quality service to a town near Croix Des Bouquets today. They treated many infected wounds and lots of patients that suffer from Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PTSD). All together, they saw 607 patients. As one of our Medical Director said: “everybody is traumatized here: kids and adults, it is tough but they try to be resilient. THANK GOD we have a very dynamic, harmonious and hard working team”. At 9:38 PM, they were still working on getting tomorrow’s clinic organized. That acute sense of organization is the key contributing factor to such a large number of patients being seen in one day by only 16 Medical Practitioners. The plan is to go to Leogane on 02/02/2010. Since the GCF camp is in Croix Des Bouquets, logistics will be tough and the team is prepared and equipped to face a rough day. May the God’s abundant blessings be with them.

NEXT MISSION:
Here in the United States, we continue to organize and coordinate the remaining 3 missions. Traveling arrangements were finalized today for the team that will be leaving on 02/06. We are mapping out the logistics for team members to come to Florida from various states such as California, Pennsylvania, New York , Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New Jersey. This week’s mission will be special. It will include two structural engineers who will head to Les Cayes for school building inspections. Parents in Les Cayes are still reluctant to sending their children to school. They remain uncertain of the buildings’ stability and would rather be safe than sorry. The Structural Engineers are being sent as a direct response to pressing requests from various residents in Les Cayes.

SUPPLIES:
As of today, we have received 40 boxes of supplies ranging from intravenous antibiotics and other antibiotics requested by our volunteers. We have also received cases of gloves, wound care supplies, beta dine, surgical supplies and much more that we have not yet accounted for. We expect another 60 boxes of supplies to be shipped to us by Wednesday. We will be working with the local officials to see how they can assist us in shipping the supplies in time for our next mission.

All this would never be possible without your support and your vote of confidence for the Gaskov Clerge Foundation. It is our duty to participate in the relief effort and we thank you, our supporters, for giving us the ability to be a part of the solution.

GCF Earthquake Relief Committee

GCF IN THE NEWS:
http://www.yourpbc.org/discussion/detail.dot?id=70096

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/on-call/2010/01/19/medical-missions-psychiatric-support-palm-beach-county-leaders-step-up-to-help-haitians-urge-others-to-join-them/

http://hillsideschool.net/announcements_detail.asp?NewsID=806

GCF RELIEF - FIELD UPDATE

Sunday, January 31, 2010 - Our beloved Haiti is weeping for her children’s loss, and at the Gaskov Clerge Foundation (GCF), we share that excruciating pain and sorrow. GCF is in deep mourning and wish to humbly pay respect to our precious brothers and sisters who lost their lives in the disastrous January 12th earthquake.

To that effect, all GCF fund raising galas planned for 2010 are cancelled. We will devote our attention and energy to continuously contribute towards relieving our surviving brothers and sisters who are suffering both physically and mentally.

After 2 long weeks of arduous planning, organizing and gathering medical supplies, GCF’s first team of medical professionals “The Pathfinders” landed safely in Haiti on January 29, 2010. With the support of Commissioner of Port Wayne Richards, Mayor Thomas Masters, Haitian Nurses Coalition and Missionary Flights International, all volunteers and supplies were transported to Haiti free of charge. The team is composed of medical professionals from Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York will be hosted by Dr. Cadet, a Florida Physician born in Croix Des Bouquet.

Our field team started working in Croix Des Bouquets on Saturday 01/30/2010 where they started to save lives. Our ground team is working with the Haitian Ministry of Health representative and on Sunday 01/31 the team began to work in Carrefour where they are performing minor surgeries and wound care. They will set the tone for the remaining teams and will help identify those places that desperately need both our medical and surgical services. Two locations that are being assessed by GCF’s logistics team are Leogane and Grand-Goave. Once the assessment is completed, GCF will decide where the next team will work.

Pressing needs identified by our field team:
Our team on the ground sees the need for more: children antibiotics and vitamins; antibiotics for vaginal infections such as Metronidazole, Miconazole, Clotrimazole, Terconazole or Fluconazole; blood pressure medication. The list will grow for sure. If you are in a position to donate these supplies, please contact us 917-405-8834 or 561-267-3813 for an address to ship them to. We are accepting donation for medical supplies at www.Gaskov.org.

“Pathfinder” Team Roster

Key Contributors:

Volunteers:
Behind this first GCF Relief team send off, there is an army of humbly devoted people who have tremendously helped in making this happen. They have worked tirelessly to raise funds, medical supplies, help arrange traveling arrangements, recruit volunteers and help spread the word about GCF’s work. We all are in this together!!!

Local officials:
• Mayor Thomas Masters - Riviera Beach
• Commissioner Wayne Richards – Palm Beach Port

Contributing Organizations (Growing list):
The following organizations have contributed medical supplies worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to GCF’s one month relief efforts:
• Map International - www.map.org
• Missionary Flights International (MFI) - www.missionaryflights.org
• Columbia Hospital, West Palm Beach Florida - http://www.columbiahospital.com
• Pocono Medical Center, Stroudsburg Pensylvania - www.poconohealthsystem.org
• Found Care, West Palm Beach, Florida - http://www.foundcare.org
• Palm Beach County Medical Society - www.pbcms.org
• Hope Force International - www.hopeforce.org
• Haitian Nurses Coalition, West Palm Beach Florida
• Daytona Heart Group - www.daytonaheart.com
• Hillside School, Inc., MA
• Children Heritage Foundation - www.childrenheritage.org
• American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeon - http://www.aaos.org

EARTHQUAKE RELIEF MISSION UPDATE

January 20, 2010 - On Thursday, January 15, GCF Board Member, Dr. Roby Marsan flew to Haiti, to bring urgent care for the young victims. As of today, Dr. Marsan is still in Haiti providing help to the earthquake victims in the region. GCF has also facilitated the departure of several Orthopedists and Anesthesiologists for Port-au-Prince.

In addition, GCF is planning to land in Haiti on January 30th with the first group of doctors and nurses, medicine and medical supplies to begin a 4-week relief mission in Port-au-Prince and other areas in need.

If you would like to make a contribution to support the effort, please follow this link to make a credit card donation. If you rather send a check, please make it payable to “Gaskov Clergé Foundation”, and mail it to the address below. For more information please contact GCF at info@gaskov.org or 347-248-7259.

GCF Earthquake Relief Committee

PRESS RELEASE UPDATE

January 17, 2010 - GCF has been receiving pressing requests to move the mission’s date to start sooner. Apparently, most towns in Haiti are inundated with victims that were brought in from Port-au-Prince. Those victims are left with nothing: no clothes, no food, no infrastructure and minimal medical care. The situation seems to be overwhelming for most towns.

Per our discussions with several search and rescue representatives, GCF needs to hold off for at least for two weeks. As such, GCF is moving the mission date up by 2 weeks, to start on January 30th, 2010. We are still planning for up to a month duration and will take the mission wherever needs us the most.

Our strategy is to remain adaptable and flexible in our planning, while maximizing the effectiveness of our resources.

GCF Earthquake Relief Committee