Dr. Cherian Thomas, head, UMCOR Health Unit suggests that some volunteers who have the qualifications and want to go into Haiti before UMCOR stations are up and ready, might want to consider this way of serving, through the US Government.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is requesting physicians of specific specialities to deploy with the National Disaster Medical Assistance teams to Haiti. The need is for trauma surgeons, orthopedists, anesthesiologists, and others with experience in treating crush injuries. Volunteers must be able to serve for at least 2 weeks, and be willing to live and work in spartan conditions.
Preference will be given to physicians who are Creole or French speakers, and to those currently credentialed through the Medical Reserve Corps in their home state, or the ESAR-VHP program (Emergency Services Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Personnel).
These volunteers will need to be credentialed as temporary federal employees and will need to be able to provide credentialing paperwork as soon as asked. Credentialing normally takes about a week. Volunteers with these clinical skills should contact Michala Koch . Not everyone who wishes to help will necessarily be deployed, and those without the requisite skills may not receive a direct response.
For medical professionals wishing to help in this way in future relief efforts, please take a few minutes to learn about the Medical Reserve Corps, identify your local unit, and register to become part of the corps. This is the channel through which medical volunteers are deployed immediately following an event, and only those registered beforehand are likely to be deployed.
Thank you for your service!
A Note from Lorna Jost, North Central Jurisdiction UMVIM Coordinator to people interested in volunteering in Haiti. (I think that that similar wisdom will be adopted by all UM Jurisdictions).
Dear Future Volunteer -
- UMVIM Team members will need a valid passport, updated tetanus shot and hepatitis A & Bshots
- Teams going into Haiti will have to have team leaders that are trained UMVIM leaders.
- The team leader will have to have had some experience in Haiti. Some Early Response Team experience would not hurt also.
- The Indiana UMVIM conference coordinator is Bonnie Albert. She is offering team leader training soon in the Indiana Conference
- You pay your own way and may have to bring in all food and supplies... This is dependent on when we are allowed in and the conditions in the area you are placed.
- Teenagers would probably be fine but I would suggest that a parent travel with them. What they might see is not going to be pretty.
- We will wait for the word from the Methodist Church of Haiti and from UMCOR as to when it is advisable to go in. That will be the juncture when it seems that volunteers can help more than just consuming valuable time, food and other resources needed by the Haitian people.
- All will endeavor to do good, do no harm and definitely learn to love our God more while on this mission.
- We are wanting to work on some spiritual formation resources - so that we are able to better serve the mental/ physical and spiritual issues that will be facing the Haitian people. Every family in Haiti has lost someone... many have lost a lot of relatives, some whole families are gone.
Lorna Jost
UMVIM-NCJ Coordinator
928 4th Street, Office #2
Brookings, SD 57006
umvim-ncj@brookings.net
P:605/692-3390; Fax:605/692-0909
http://www.umvimncj.org/
Now you are the body of Christ ~1 Cor. 12:27