April 19, 2010 - Cardinal in Haiti to Assess Earthquake Response and Visit Hospital

Cardinal Seán O’Malley has returned to Haiti to visit Hopital Sacre Coeur (HSC), which is the largest private hospital in the North of Haiti and has for many years received significant support from the Order of Malta.   Caritas Christi Health Care has a significant presence at Hopital Sacre Coeur and is committed to assisting the hospital in meeting the medical needs of the people of Haiti.

The Cardinal arrived in Haiti yesterday April 18th, A.  He is expected to leave Haiti tomorrow, April 20th.

George Martell, of The Catholic Foundation, is traveling with the Cardinal and has begun photoblogging from Haiti on www.flickr.com/BostonCatholic beginning this evening.  Photos are also available at  http://www.facebook.com/BostonCatholic

Info about Hopital Sacre Coeur:

Hopital Sacre Coeur (HSC) is the largest private hospital in the North of Haiti. Located in the town of Milot, the 73 bed hospital has provided uninterrupted service for 23 years. This premier Haitian healthcare facility has been a beacon of hope for the people of Northern Haiti as it creates a healthier Haiti, one dignified life at a time.

When the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti , the medical resources of the tiny island nation were strained far beyond capacity and hundreds of thousands of severely injured people were left without care.  In response, Caritas Christi, working with CRUDEM, sent a team of volunteer physicians, nurses and technicians to Hopital Sacre Coeur to provide essential medical care to as many of the injured as possible.

The hospital, which is 75 miles north of Port au Prince, was left relatively intact after the quake and has become a major medical center for patients.  The team treated earthquake victims, many of whom had been airlifted to the hospital, with all manner of injuries including crush wounds, burns, trauma, fractures and infections.  Members of the team often work into the night treating the wounded.  The 73 bed hospital quickly expanded to over 200 beds, utilizing neighboring schools, tents, and tarp-covered soccer fields to accommodate the sudden increase in patient population.