In St. Marc, Haiti, a cholera treatment center was attacked by protestors yesterday. The protest is a response to the fear many people are feeling to this disease that they most didn't know existed until it began infecting their citizens by the thousands. There were about 300 protestors, and their goal was to stop the clinic run by Doctors Without Borders-Spain from opening because they didn't want it to bring more of the disease to their town. Already it has been one of the hardest hit towns in this outbreak that has killed 284 people and infected 3,769. Multiple rocks and even a Molotov cocktail was thrown. To stop the violence, peace makers from Argentina can with riot shields to help back up the police. Warning shot were also fired, but no one was injured. The protestors were then told by Haitian health officials that the clinic would not open in their neighborhood. It had been meant to help rehydrate and treat over 400 people infected with the cholera. The country chief of the Doctors Without Borders-Spain has now talked with local authorities and explained how the clinic is important for combating the disease and that they would try to open in another area of St. Marc. But in order to do that, there will need to be good communication between health officials and the Haitian citizens so that they know there is no risk in locating a hospital in their city. The majority of cases have been occuring near the Artibonite River and in Haiti's central plateau. One of the first places to widely alert the epidemic to the world was St. Marc's main hospital, as it soon became overflowing with people who were sick and dying. U.N. staff can only enter areas of heavy infection if they are given special permission. To enforce this police have been set up to guard check points. The neighboring country of the Dominican Republic is also now announcing that everyone who crosses the border must wash their hands and fill out a medical form. In addition, military supervision is be used and markets between the countries have been closed. Everyone is trying to do whatever possible to avoid the disease that is continuing to spread like wildfire across the country.
First of all, I don't blame those Haitians for protesting against the hospital. I can't imagine how terrified they must feel with this potentially fatal disease running rampant through their country, as if the catastrophic hurricane wasn't enough earlier this year. Cholera is a disease they haven't seen in generations and all they know about it is that it kills. I'm sure they feared that the hospital, with all its infected patients would only attract more sick people to their area, causing the disease to continue to spread even faster than before. It makes sense. What I really hope though, is that these health officials can effectively get the word out that the hospitals will help combat and stop the disease, not spread it. The doctors will be able to treat people and hopefully save lives, which would not be possible if the Haitians were just left alone to fight the disease themselves. Communication needs to be drastically better between the government, those giving aid, and the citizens so that they can work together and stop the disease before everyone dies. I also think more doctors need to be sent to Haiti so more people can be helped. Those doctors will have to be extremely brave, but I believe the work they can do would make all the difference in the world. These Haitian people have already suffered so much, and although the world may be getting tiring of sending aid and money, it still needs to be done. People are dying, and Haiti needs all the countries and people working together so that the dealth, disease, starvation, and poverty can be put to an end. Haiti deserves to get back on its feet.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39867288/ns/health-infectious_diseases/
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