Medical Relief in Haiti- Docs needed/Insurance?

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Hi Everyone!

I am new to this forum so please forgive me if this has been discussed before. Here is some background;

I recently returned from my first medical missionary trip to Haiti. I went with a grassroots organization created specifically to respond to the need in southern Haiti(created by some of my friends from med-school practicing in the area). We were the first physicians to arrive in southern Haiti. Our group had been there ever since and is now coordinating with MSF, CCH, HHH.....ect to provide continued care.

We are developing immediate and long term relief efforts in Cayes-Jacmel in coordination with the other NGOs. We will transition from hospital tents to a hard structure and provide comprehensive rehabilitation, primary and surgical care.

We are in need of physicians- any volunteers?

As things in Haiti become more and more strict I am assigned the task to evaluate the need for Insurance for relief efforts. This hasn't been an issue but in preparing to staff a long term medical facility its getting more difficult to recruit medical personnel. Primarily because it has been done by word-of-mouth and people are coming to us. We are preparing to approach hospitals and academic programs and imagine they will ask about insurance.

Please any advice, input and/or experiences from anyone on this forum with disaster/medical relief will be so helpful and appreciated! Insurance? Issues specifically with medical relief?

Anyone interested in going?! Please IM me. I can send specific information about our NGO.


www.teamange.com

I have been to Haiti twice; once with my dmat team (so had federal coverage) and once with a ngo disaster medical team. with the ngo we didn't even have charts so malpractice was a non-issue. we were on the ground in port au prince in the first week and were seeing 400+ pts/day at mobile clinics we set up and staffed ourselves. here one day, gone the next. I don't know what the "rules" per se would be for long term coverage of a permanent facility. I'm guessing any coverage required would be minimal, especially if volunteers were donating their time and not being paid. probably best to ask someone from msf or partners in health as they are the big dogs there.

Check out http://www.hopehaiti.org/ for another great organization.