Source & Credit: The Windsor Star | January 20, 2010
By Chris Thompson for The Windsor Star
Local MD to join Haiti mission: Doctor seeks donations of antibiotics
A local family doctor will be leaving for earthquake-ravaged Haiti on Friday and is putting out an urgent appeal for antibiotics before he leaves.
Dr. Geoff Butler, who works at the St. Clair Beach Health Care Centre, will fly out from Detroit Friday morning for the Dominican Republic as part of the efforts of Humanity First, a U.K.-based international humanitarian organization.
Butler and a number of American doctors will be joining a contingent from Europe to assist with the treatment of survivors of last week's quake.
American Airlines is allowing the doctors to bring extra baggage because of the nature of their trip, and Butler wants to bring as much of the antibiotic amoxicillin as possible.
He is hoping any pharmacy or doctor's office that might have some extra sitting around will drop it off at the centre at Manning and Tecumseh roads today before he leaves.
The father of five has been a doctor for a decade and knew as soon as news of the earthquake spread he wanted to go.
"To say I'm looking forward to it would be wrong," said Butler.
"But it's kind of something I have deemed necessary. I have five kids so I think that in not doing something I'd send a bigger message than I would if I do."
Butler said the details of exactly what he'll be doing have yet to be ironed out because the situation is still chaotic.
"There's no question there's a safety issue," said Butler.
"I've talked to them about that at length. I know that the situation is going to be terrible. It's kind of a weird reaction."
Humanity First already had a presence in Haiti so Butler's group of about 30 physicians will have a base to work from.
The organization's headquarters building survived the quake.
Butler expects he'll be performing some sort of triage function in the outlying area of Port-au-Prince.
"(The building) is still standing and operational but they also are working with the UN near the airstrip, so they have a secondary satellite there, but they're having trouble communicating with them because the conditions on the ground are so bad," Butler said.
"They're thinking of setting up satellite sites and seeing what they can triage on the outskirts. I'll have to see when I get down there."
Butler will be in Haiti until Feb. 1 and his office has been notifying his local patients of his absence.
"Sacrifice is made by everybody," said Butler.
"The level of need supercedes that of my patients. I'm lucky that I work with two other doctors. If there's anything emergent they'll be seen."
Butler said he has done some humanitarian work on native Canadian reserves, but nothing on the scale of a natural disaster like this.
Butler will join a contingent of 14 doctors already working for Humanity First in Haiti.
A news release from Humanity First Canada on Wednesday described what the doctors were encountering.
"Our doctors treated about 160 patients (Tuesday) which included treatment of open infected wounds, fractures and diabetics with injuries, some patients were referred to the closest hospitals," the release said.
"Our doctors did not encounter any critical cases because of the fact that most critical cases have either died or had been admitted in hospitals."
The release also says there are "oceans of people everywhere.
"The roads are blocked with crowds of people and damaged from fallen buildings. There is acute shortage of water. There is a dire need for tents, water, food, generators and other necessary supplies."
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