EMERGENCY SITUATION : MEDIFLIGHTS Transporting Critical Haitian Patients to the US have been Suspended for Questionable Reasons

MediVacFLights have been suspended from Haiti Since Wednesday, this was not made public until Late Friday Night.And the Whitehouse Spokesperson and the Governor of Florida are giving very different accounts of the situation. More Importantly this situation needs to be resolved ASAP.Lives are at stake.
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Update Sunday 1.31.10 Partners in Health.org LongStanding Organized respected Health Organization in Haiti arranged transport of three critically ill children out of Haiti. They have been in Haiti with Dr.Farmer for many years, and understand HOW to get things Done. Please do support their work and Doctors Without Borders.This situation will still need Public OutCry. DO call the White House 202-456-1414 on Monday. Please do read this CBS News Article about How the Doctors with Partners in Health did get the Children flown out for medical care.
Partners in Health has also launched a new website exclusively focused on their Haiti Work, it is called Stand With Haiti.org
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(1) If People Live in Florida- Please have them Call MEDIA and Write and Call Gov.Christ's Office and Complain, that they do not support his Decision or Actions. The FINAL Decision should be made as a JOINT Decision between USaid Office (DC) and UN and The Military ( esp. as they are in charge of ground control- it sounds as if they were not consulted or the USSComfort or the Navy, please note that ALL the press releases do not mention the Military's Response).

Please do read this BBC article as to how the US Halt on Medial Transports will cause Patients to die....But raises More questions about WHO made this decision.It implies it was a Whitehouse Decision, yet most articles here in the States are saying it was a decision instigated by the State of Florida.

Also Please do read Mirela's Post about this troubling issue that threatens to harm more lives and add to the misery of the Haitians. ( Mirela is on Twitter and is an amazing source for information and news, @mirelamonte )

{{*** This article explains the UN's role in Emergency Care of Disaster Refugees, And it is worth the read. .It raises some questions regarding a Governor inserting himself into an International Humanitarian Crisis.)

It is NOT appropriate that Gov.Christ is refusing for his state, when NO statement has been made by USAID or issued by the key DC Coordinators. It makes ALL of the US look bad- by tomorrow when this reaches Foriegn Press that Patients were turned away due to "Homeland Security Concerns/FEMA" or "Cost"-it will Shame the US, and all of the fine work being done by thousands of Americans. ( THIS is a Diplomatic Nightmare, and people in other countries DO KNOW the Word "FEMA" and do remember Katrina).

*** Please See in the articles of 2nd email that there are Hospitals in Florida who are STILL willing to recieve and care for Critical Patients, especially Pediatric,Burn,Neuro and Trauma. These patients need more care than the Comfort can provide for extended time.Please do read this article regarding Hospitals in Florida still wishing to accept Patients from Haiti, it has more details of the situation in Florida.

(2) DO Write the USSAID offices in DC, and our President and demand that these Patients as Guaranteed by the Policies of the UN, providing Emergency Medical Care for Disaster Refugees be still allowed to come to the United States. That We as Americans want them to receive the BEST Humanitarian Medical Care possible.
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USAID Contacts:::
MAIN Haiti Director for USAID : Raj Shah
{{ Please address letter to him,also DO CC: Dr.Ron Waldman-Medical Director of USAID :International Medical Aid,Anne Veneman,UNICEF Director for Children,Katherine Bragg,(OCHA ) Director of Humanitarian Affairs,Dr.Margaret Chan of W.H.O ( World Health Organization) as they are working with him to address this International Humanitarian Crisis.}}
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MORE USAID ADDRESS INFORMATION:
Please call one of our agency telephone information specialists at (202) 712-4810. The number to fax us your question is (202) 216-3524. The agency's main telephone number is 202-712-0000.

General inquiries via postal mail that are not directed to a specific person:
Information Center
U.S. Agency for International Development
Ronald Reagan Building
Washington, D.C. 20523-1000
To contact an employee, see the information below.
PRESS INQUIRIES
If you are a member of the press, you may contact our press relations office at:

U.S. Agency for International Development
Office of Press Relations
Ronald Reagan Building
Washington, D.C. 20523-0016
Telephone: 202-712-432
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UN Contacts:
801 2nd Avenue Suite 600
New York, New York 10017
Tel: 212.370.4840
Fax: 212.661.8698
email: haiti@un.int
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(3)Do contact ONE large Hospital in your state, Ask to speak to the Admissions Director or the PR Rep. Explain calmly and politely what is needed, Beds for Critical patients from Haiti that are suffering from Burns, Ortho injuries, Neuro Injuries or Trauma. That we hope Each and every state will step up to assist this Massive Emergency Health Disaster. If your state has a Separate PEDS hospital do call them as well.

(4) DO call Media after you have called your State's Governors Office and Hospitals.( Especially if they are responding in an affirmative Humane Caring way)

(5) If you live in a Community or City with large Haitian population please do make contacts,Boston, Montreal and Miami,New York (Brooklyn) are some of the cities that the Haitian Community will want to know their relatives are possibly being turned away or will not get much needed medical care. They would want to know that their Communities would be there to welcome Injured Haitians.
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Other Articles on the Situation
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Article in Relief Web crossposted from Alternet and Reuters.
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New York Times takes another slant on the situation siting "Space" as as the reason for the Change in policy.