Léogâne, Haiti — The arrival of Canadian soldiers and scores of non-governmental organizations means that the population is now benefiting from improved medical care in the aftermath of the January 12th earthquake. But there are still Haitians who have yet to receive care for lack of transportation

The roads are in poor shape, and most Haitians get around on motorcycles. Getting a family member to a medical clinic can be a daunting challenge.

When given directions, medics take the wheel of a flat bed truck to evacuate the wounded. Because of the lack of time and resources, only the most serious cases are dealt with this way.

“Haiti is the only place I’ve seen this,” explained Corporal Mélanie Mascolo of 5 Field Ambulance. “We never have to use a truck bed to evacuate wounded, but it does the trick.”

“An amputee lived far away, and no one in her family had any means of transportation,” she added. “It’s so sad. Good thing we were there.”

Medics act quickly, but sometimes information takes time getting through to the medical personnel. For example, an 18-year-old who had been bedridden since January 12 due to a fracture in her right leg received care only when her brother made her plight known on January 31.

Article and photos: Corporal Julie Turcotte, Army News, Montreal

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