Russians, and 3 containers of hemorrhoid cream

Although my evenings in Haiti were few, there was enough time to hear stories from some very willing story tellers about the days in the aftermath of the earthquake.

As an example of the ridiculous reach of litigious American society, in the days immediately after the earthquake, when relief workers, doctors, EMTs and others were pouring into Haiti willing to do anything, at least one USAID employee was tasked with running around the tarmac, trying to identify surgeons and get them to the Embassy. The plan was to identify them, make them into teams, and deploy them to the various sites where they were needed. Seeing as how they were arriving from the US, it made sense for the US embassy to want to coordinate their deployment. Alas, the US military was also arriving. And they did not feel that they could ensure the security of the medical teams. So, surgeons, who had come for the express purpose of saving lives, were napping in the embassy compound while USAID and the military argued over the security assessments. In the meantime, relief teams from other countries were arriving, and getting right to work. The airport runner ( a really nice man with a much more important job normally) told me:

“The doctors were lying on the ground with their hands behind their heads. Just waiting. They had everything with them for a mobile hospital. But they couldn’t go, in case something happened to them and the government got sued. Finally, 3 days later, the military said that they could provide security. We went at 2am to set up the tents. By 6am, they were operating. But you know who got there before the Americans? The Russians. The Israelis. The Turkish. The RUSSIANS!”

This was the same man who has no love lost for Dr. Sanjay Gupta, because he maintains that our favorite Indian reporter was purposefully seeking out the bad stories, and not telling any of the good ones. Currently, if CNN reports something, it comes to the attention of President Obama. Who calls Hillary. Who calls Rajiv. Who calls the USAID mission director in Haiti. Therefore - CNN=Bad.

All of the help which poured in from around the world came in many different forms. Much of it came in random donations. Including some company which sent 3 shipping containers full of hemorrhoid cream. Given that many of the medical storage facilities were also affected by the earthquake, there is neither any place to put all of these supplies, nor the need in Haiti for so much salve. Some of the donations now have to be destroyed, because they cannot be used or stored properly-a real shame.

A well-meaning American came to Haiti saying that he had a machine which could make water out of air. Given the shortage of potable water, this could be a useful machine. Prior to the earthquake, Haiti’s main tertiary care hospital did not have potable water on its premises. He requested (read demanded) that the USAID mission assist him in getting his machine from the port to the hospital. Given poor road conditions, this was a tricky affair to organize, and not a priority as locals figured - the hospital didn’t have water before...surely it isn’t an emergency now. But Mr. Well-meaning is also well-connected, and had the ear of some senator. CNN came to do a story. The machine found its way to the hospital. 6 months later, the hospital administrator wants the machine off of his property. He didn’t ask for it. He doesn’t use it. It consumes too much fuel to operate.