STAMFORD – Americares is deploying an emergency medical team to Jamaica to meet the immediate physical and mental health needs of survivors affected by Hurricane Melissa — the strongest storm on record to make landfall in the island nation.
“With dozens of health centers damaged or destroyed, hurricane survivors have been cut off from care across the island,” said Americares President and CEO Christine Squires. “The needs are immense. So many people have lost everything — including homes and loved ones — and have suffered enormous trauma. Our emergency medical team will be working right away to ensure survivors get the care they need.”
The 16-person team, including physicians, nurses and mental health professionals, will operate for at least six weeks, providing free primary care services and mental health support to survivors in Chester Castle, Jamaica, about 25 miles from where Melissa made landfall on Oct. 28.
The team will provide such services as chronic disease management and treatment for urgent conditions, including infections and injuries. The Category 5 storm brought catastrophic flooding and sustained winds of 185 mph, destroying homes, damaging health facilities and cutting off roads, limiting access to essential health services in the hardest hit communities. Two weeks after the storm, many health facilities, including major hospitals, are only partially operating.
The Americares medical team is certified by the World Health Organization as an Emergency Medical Team Type 1 Mobile provider.
Americares has been on the ground in Jamaica since Oct. 30 assessing needs at hospitals and health centers, working in coordination with the Jamaican government, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the Pan American Health Organization.
“We are seeing hospitals without roofs, destroyed homes and roads blocked by downed trees and power lines,” said Dr. Raúl Pineda, who is leading Americares assessment of health needs in Jamaica.
“And this is only the visible part of the destruction. There’s another layer of destruction from the traumatic stress and uncertainty. Thousands of Jamaicans now wonder, ‘What will happen to my family tomorrow?’ ‘Who will provide health care?’ ‘How long will it take for us to recover?’”
After leaving widespread destruction in Jamaica, the powerful storm went to Cuba where it made landfall Oct. 29 as a Category 3 hurricane before heading toward Bermuda. In Haiti, Melissa was a slow-moving tropical storm that caused massive flooding and landslides in the southern part of the country. Throughout the Caribbean, dozens of deaths have been reported in the aftermath of the storm.
In addition to activating its medical team, Americares is working to deliver critically needed medicines and relief supplies for health facilities in Jamaica and Haiti.
In Jamaica, Americares is also funding repairs to damaged health facilities and working to provide clean water and hygiene products for children and adolescent girls in hurricane-affected communities. At Falmouth Hospital, which lost more than half of its roof and sustained severe flooding, Americares is supporting the Pan American Health Organization’s clean-up of the facility by funding cleaning supplies and equipment.
Donations to Americares Hurricane Fund will support its response to the storm. To donate, go to americares.org/HurricaneRelief
