Prosthetics and Rehabilitation Services for People with Amputations in Haiti - A Message from the Chair of US-ISPO

As the enormity of the tragedy resulting from last week's earthquake in Haiti is coming into focus, attention is now being turned from search and rescue activities towards the care for the survivors and burial of the deceased. As is often the case with horrific events such as this, a significant number of survivors, likely numbering in the thousands, will have sustained amputations. Even before the earthquake, the need for prosthetic services in Haiti far outstripped capacity of the organizations providing services. Now, in a momentary shift of tectonic plates, the demand for prostheses and amputee rehabilitation has grown exponentially. Furthermore the headquarters for the main group providing prosthetic care in Port au Prince, Healing Hands for Haiti (HHH) (www.healinghandsforhaiti.org) has sustained substantial damage.

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