Toomevara firm supplies vital PPE to struggling Haiti

A Toomevara company, Light Hardware Supplies, has dispatched a major consignment of personal protective equipment to Haiti to help the country which is struggling to cope with the outbreak of Covid-19.

As of June 21st, nearly nine million cases of Covid-19 have been reported worldwide. The virus was confirmed to have reached Haiti in March of this year. The population of Haiti is over 11 million and it has an estimated 124 Intensive Care Unit beds and only 64 ventilators. The country’s few Covid-ready hospitals and triage centres are ill-prepared and ill-equipped. Total cases to date there are 5,077. However, authorities admit that the statistics do not represent the full scope of the virus in the country, given the very low number of tests carried out. In the capital Port-au-Prince, with a population of four million, 90 percent of those tested are Covid-positive. But lack of, and fear of testing means that thousands go undiagnosed and that hundreds, or perhaps more, have died – untested and uncounted. It is due to a combination of factors that are as much political and economic as they are related to a weak public health system. Among the numerous challenges is also the ongoing return of thousands of Haitian migrants from the neighbouring Dominican Republic which has the largest cluster of Covid-19 cases in the Caribbean.

The WHO’s Executive Director for Health Emergencies, Michael Ryan, has expressed worry. He said: "We are very concerned about Haiti at the moment because of its unique circumstances, unique fragility and the fact that the disease is accelerating in a highly vulnerable population."

 

STATE OF EMERGENCY
The Haitian government has declared a state of emergency, asking people to practice physical distancing and wear masks, but it has been impossible for most people, particularly those who live in the densely-populated slums of the capital. The healthcare system is very concerned that many people with Covid-19 symptoms are not getting tested or going to hospital for treatment because they fear being stigmatized or forced to quarantine. In addition, several healthcare facilities have closed due to lack of PPE and contamination of staff. Doctors and nurses lucky enough to work at PIH’s Mirebalais University Hospital, which opened its Covid ward in March, have protective gear. But the same is not true at some of the State facilities where many healthcare workers have refused to come to work due to lack of personal protective equipment.

Across the water, Ireland continues to ‘flatten the curve’ and the economy has slowly reopened. We are grateful to have come this far through the pandemic. We think of how the virus is affecting other countries, especially poorer undeveloped areas of the world.

Fr John Molloy, Parish Priest of Toomevara, has a passion for mission abroad and helping the most vulnerable people in the developing world. Fr John has a close friendship with Archbishop Eugene Nugent from Scariff, Co Clare, also a priest from the Killaloe diocese who has been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti since 2015. Fr John has visited Fr Eugene in the past and has seen the poverty, health and humanitarian needs of the country.

 

FR JOHN MOLLOY
Aware of the spiralling situation in Haiti, Fr John was conscious of the need for medical supplies and spoke with Archbishop Nugent to see if he could help with the crisis there. This was received with great gratitude and the response was, "any form of PPE or other medical donations would be greatly appreciated". On hearing of the necessity and urgency for medical equipment, Light Hardware Supplies, Kilkeary, offered to donate a very generous amount of PPE to Haiti.　

This included 500 face shields, 200 medical isolation gowns, 3,000 CE certified 3-ply surgical masks and 100 litres of hand sanitiser. Light Hardware Supplies were in the fortunate position of being able to source and supply PPE to the medical profession, frontline workers and businesses during the Covid spread nationwide.

Bernard O’Neill commented: "Well after speaking with Fr John we felt strongly about making a donation of PPE to help the needs of medical care workers in Haiti. It is great that Fr John has contact with people there, and we know the equipment is going directly to where it is needed. Thankfully here at home we have managed to suppress the virus, other countries are not as fortunate."

Light Hardware Supplies got in contact with John O’ Connell, a Corkman and the Chairman of ESPWA - Haiti Orphanage Project, www.4haiti.ie.

ESPWA is the Haitian Creole word for Hope. It is a fully registered Irish charity dedicated to providing facilities and implementing best practice for disadvantaged children in Haiti (NPH Haiti Special Needs Programme).
Their volunteers in Ireland source much needed supplies and send it directly to their organisation in Haiti. In the last five years they have shipped over 25 containers of medical equipment.

 

CONTAINER TO BE SHIPPED
The PPE donated by the Toomevara parish based store was collected on Friday, June 19th. And as it is such a priority at present, it was immediately sent to their container leaving for Haiti on this Wednesday, June 24th.
This PPE will go to Saint Luke’s Hospital, Port-au-Prince, and NPH Saint Damien’s Hospital, Tabarre.

Working on the ground over there is Jacinta McGuane, from Co Clare and Gena Heraty from Westport, and both are extremely grateful for this kind contribution, saying: "The shortage of PPE here is of major concern. Some hospitals have suspended their emergency and hospitalisation services, citing inability to protect patients and service providers from the virus.

"We are struggling to provide PPE for our staff which is resulting in increasing absenteeism. Thank you to the O’Neill family and LHS, this PPE from Tipperary is a Godsend and will save lives."

Trocaire have also been working in partnership with local communities in Haiti since the devasting earthquake in 2010. Their programmes focus on providing shelter, food, medicine, education, housing and training programmes that benefit people in the long-term. This year’s Trocaire annual Lenten campaign focuses on providing protective equipment, hand sanitising stations, food, water, urgent health care supplies and other needed resources to developing countries.