Contact: Ronald D. Kelly, The Wesleyan Church World Headquarters, 317-774-7907
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Jan. 25 /Christian Newswire/ -- Caribe Atlantic Area director Dan Irvine reported by e-mail to The Wesleyan Church World Headquarters department of Global Partners, "Within minutes of the earthquake, the Wesleyan Hospital began to receive and treat injured individuals." Operated by The Wesleyan Church, the tiny hospital on La Gonave with a staff of 60 medical personnel, missionaries and volunteers, has been on the 37-mile long island for over 50 years. With comparatively few resources, it has been a place of refuge for the citizens of Haiti, treating hundreds of patients, training Haitian medical personnel, offering HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and sharing the hope of the gospel message. But it was a special place of refuge on January 12. Anse-a-Galets, the adjoining city, was one of the lesser publicized towns but suffered major damage by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake.
Irvine, helping to coordinate the Church's Haiti relief effort in cooperation with its primary compassionate ministries partner, World Hope International, said, "At first the patients were locals who sustained injuries from panicked flight or building collapse, but a few hours after daylight the following morning the hospital began to receive casualties." In addition to sending a medical team to assist in Port-au-Prince, a converted lobster boat that had been donated to the hospital began to ferry relief supplies, refugees, and fuel. It is being used to transport supplies to Port-au-Prince from cargo ships too large to enter La Gonave's wharf.
Diane Busch, a physician's assistant with the medical team, wrote of treating a small child whose parents and siblings had died when their house collapsed, "I spent 30 minutes carefully cleaning a wound and removing the non-viable tissue. . . He was so brave while I cleaned him up with no anesthetic. We talked for a little while about how God has a plan for him, as he alone was spared, and also how he came for medical treatment at a critical time." She added, "Hopefully he will live to tell his story."
