Many in Haiti left with permanent disabilities
Friday, 05 February 2010 09:41
The earthquake in Haiti has left thousands of people injured and many of them will be left with permanent disabilities.
There have been huge numbers of amputations since the earthquake, with just one hospital reporting that a quarter of their 200 amputations had been on young children.
Itson Darius, 4, had his leg amputated below the knee, nine days after the earthquake.
His mother, Maryse Lindor, 40, was selling clothes on the street when the earthquake happened.
“As soon as it happened I ran towards the house where I knew my five children were. The four older ones had run away from the house when the earthquake happened and I didn’t know where Itson was. We thought he was dead – killed by the falling rubble.
“Then four days later someone heard him crying and an American team came and dug him out. I cried and screamed when he came out alive. I had thought him dead for all that time.”
Maryse is now living in the grounds of a hospital in Port-au-Prince with Darius, who lies in a make-shift bed.
“Where else can we go? I don’t have a house – it was destroyed. And Darius has to see the doctor every day and how can we take him anywhere when he cannot walk. At the moment he cannot even sit up.
“He had just started school this year. Only god knows if he will be able to go back.”
Maryse has not been able to start working again since the earthquake as she lost all her stock of clothes. Luckily Itson’s hospital treatment is free, but she has not been given any information by the doctors on what long term care Darius will need.
ActionAid will be focussing on the most vulnerable in its emergency response programme in Haiti. As well as women, children and the elderly this will include people with disabilities.
Harjeet Singh, ActionAid ‘s Emergencies Advisor said: “There are hundreds of people who have had limbs amputated or have developed some kind of disability. They will need treatment for a long time and once the free treatment is over the medical care will become very expensive for them.
“ActionAid will work with such families to develop a plan to provide post operative medical care and also psychosocial support to overcome the trauma. We will also work towards getting these children back to school and getting them the appliances and therapies they need, as well as supporting their families with shelter and getting back to work.”
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