Guin does triage!

Day 3 in Haiti was a long day with lots of change. This morning I was on triage with John, one of our paramedics. We triaged about 130 patients by 3pm. It was exhausting work, and now that the main traumas are dealt with it's all primary care. Lots of wound care, diarrhea, nausea, fevers, chest pain (which is further discovered to be acid reflux), STDs, and general hygiene issues. The lineup seemed to be endless, but the Haitians are so patient, it seems at this point they just want someone who cares. There was only one minor argument which seemed to sort itself out without any incident. I am becoming quite adept at lifting one leg and demonstrating how to douche, and how to wipe from front to back, NOT back to front! It's quite the scene.
We were supposed to pack up and head out at 12, which got pushed to 1, then 3pm, due to the volume of patients needing to be seen. When we finally started out for PAP we all fell silently and exhaustedly into the seats of the bus, staring in sombre sadness at the broken, torn, buildings and rubble lining the streets. We all took photos, and we all know that photos will not do justice to the scale of the decimation here. It is so hard to convey the magnitude of damage that has been done. Things have normalized a lot, don't get me wrong, but everywhere there are signs of the earthquake. I heard a stat that 1 in every 4 lost a family member, and I don't know the accuracy of that, but I would not be surprised.
We arrived at the hospital funded by Sean Penn, met the man himself and a bunch of others, and got a tour of the tent city that has sprung up beside the golf course. This refugee area houses some 50,000 people, and at night swells to between 80,000 and 100,000. Quite the population. The hospital here seems to be staffed by a plethora of teams of volunteers, from a group of Chicago ER nurses to med students to surgeons and other medical professionals. We all met at 9pm this evening to discuss where people will be working tomorrow; you have the option of the mobile clinic or the field hospital itself. The hospital is very well equipped, and we were all impressed with the facility. I'm looking forward to trying out some skills in it! OR anyone? Just jump in!