The Canadian Red Cross has deployed its Emergency Health Clinic in a joint effort with the French Red Cross, to help support several communities in Haiti affected by Hurricane Matthew. The Emergency Health Clinic team will work in cooperation with the Haitian Ministry of Health and the Haitian Red Cross.
Health services will be provided through a mobile clinic, bringing care to hard-to-reach communities where health posts have been damaged or destroyed. The mobile clinic will provide:
- treatment of minor trauma and wounds
- targeted tetanus immunization
- basic prenatal care
- treatment of common infections in adults and children, including cholera and malaria
- treatment of chronic diseases
The mobile clinic will also be used to carry out prevention activities to decrease the risk of cholera transmission and monitor for outbreaks.
“Hurricane Matthew is estimated to have affected more than 2.1 million Haitians, and has displaced 175,000 people. The needs are tremendous,” said Hossam Elsharkawi, Vice President of International Operations for the Canadian Red Cross. “The strength of the Red Cross is our combination of community-based and global support. Working closely with the Haitian Ministry of Health and the Haitian Red Cross, the deployment of the Canadian Red Cross Emergency Clinic will help to address the urgent health care needs of those affected by Hurricane Matthew.”
A team of nine trained and experienced aid workers from Canada will help set up and run the mobile clinic. The team will bring a variety of skills and experience, including medical and nursing expertise and psychosocial support.
Canadians can support the Red Cross’ response to the hurricane by making a donation to the Canadian Red Cross Hurricane Matthew Appeal at
www.redcross.ca, by calling 1-800-418-1111 or by contacting their local Canadian Red Cross office. The deployment of the mobile clinic is made possible through a strategic partnership between the Red Cross and the Government of Canada.
About the Canadian Red Cross
Here in Canada and overseas, the Red Cross stands ready to help people before, during and after a disaster. As a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – which is made up of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and 190 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies – the Canadian Red Cross is dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Canada and throughout the world.