UNMC plans response to Haiti relief efforts

An informational meeting will be held today at noon for UNMC faculty and students interested in deploying to Haiti as part of a medical center team that will provide medical aid in the earthquake-ravaged country.

The meeting will be held in the Sorrell Center, Room 2010.

“UNMC has a big heart and we have received many e-mail responses asking to volunteer on the team, including students,” said Ayman El-Mohandes, M.B.B.Ch., M.D., M.P.H., dean of the College of Public Health, who, along with Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Rubens Pamies, M.D., leads UNMC’s response to the Haitian tragedy.

Help Haiti State department officials recommend the following avenues for donation: Online donation at cidi.org, a Web site where people also can register to be a part of a volunteer database that will be used to maintain sustained relief efforts; or By texting “Haiti (90999)” on one’s cell phone, which allows people to make a $10 donation to Haitian aid that will be added to their cellular phone bills.

Tuesday, the poverty-stricken island nation suffered from a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. Millions of people — about a third of the population — have been affected.

UNMC will assemble a professional team that could either join a statewide group or work in collaboration with the U.S. State Department. Physician volunteers from the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad have expressed interest in joining a UNMC team.

State department officials discourage volunteers from deploying to Haiti on their own as the conditions on the ground are unstable.

The state department, Dr. Pamies said, seeks aid in the form of money and volunteers, with a great emphasis being placed on financial aid. (See sidebar.)

There’s a specific need for volunteers trained in trauma, emergency medicine and/or who speak French.

Health care providers or students who are interested in assisting but may not be able to attend today’s meeting should contact mtrobinson@unmc.edu or jabeda@unmc.edu.