Given the epidemic of cholera which is spreading in Haiti since October, Médecins du Monde (MDM) is mobilized from the early days in Port au Prince, Petit Goâve and Grande Anse, areas in which the association intervenes.

In Grande Anse, rural department in the Southwest, MdM has set up two Cholera Treatment Centres (CTC) of a capacity of 120 patients in Jérémie,of 50 beds in Moron and 20 beds in Prévilé. Since November 22, these two centers have admitted more than 2,600 cases with an average of 80 new cases per day and recorded 84 deaths. Faced to the constant progression of the epidemic, MdM has also set up 3 transitional units of cholera treatment (UTC) in other communes of the Grande Anse. The teams will support moderate cases, by oral or intravenous rehydration, depending of the degree of dehydration, severe cases are transfered to the CTC.

"The epidemic is getting worse. We receive each day more and more cases. The treatment center of Jérémie is overwhelmed, some patients are two by bed or placed on the floor," says Myriam Pomarel, medical coordinator for Medecins du Monde.

The teams of Médecins du Monde also crisscross the 11 communes of the region to awareness the population. The aim is above all, to make known the disease to avoid panic scene and encourage people with symptoms of cholera to go as quickly as possible in the health centers.

"MDM is also involved the decontamination of homes of people who have had cholera, to protect their families. But the equipment decontamination scares (mask, suit), we must explain that this is not to protect themselves from of cholera but chlorine used to sterilize a place potentially contaminated," says Dr. UCEM doctor's clinic Solino.

HL/ HaitiLibre