my own drum

Like many of you I have have been following the Haitian earthquake news. Every image, every story seems to magnify the scope of destruction and suffering. On Friday night, after hearing so much about how supply routes were impassable, I sent a message to CNN news asking why airdrops were not being considered. On Saturday I saw a video of a helicopter dropping boxes of supplies to people on the ground. I hope more and more of this happens.

But the story that really gripes my ass comes from the doctors and nurses who abandoned their post. On Friday night a Belgian medical team evacuated their field hospital at the direction of Belgian Chief Coordinator Geert Gijs, a doctor who was at the hospital with 60 Belgian medical personnel. His justification to leave was because U.N. Security personnel were not there, and he was afraid of rumors of nearby rioting. I think that Retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore summed it up more accurately when he said, "I find this astonishing these doctors left. People are scared of the poor."

These doctors and nurses not only left the field hospital, but they packed up all of their supplies as well. This act left the one remaining doctor, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta, and a nurse who refused to leave, alone to care for 25 patients throughout the night. They had no medication, no plasma for trauma victims, not even gas for the generator. By early morning the field hospital was in the dark as the generator ran out of fuel.

Belgian Chief Coordinator Geert Gijs, a doctor who was at the hospital with 60 Belgian medical personnel, said it was his decision to pull the team out for the night. Gijs said he requested U.N. security personnel to staff the hospital overnight, but was told that peacekeepers would only be able to evacuate the team. He said it was a "tough decision" but that he accepted the U.N. offer to evacuate after a Canadian medical team, also at the hospital with Canadian security officers, left the site Friday afternoon. The Belgian team returned Saturday morning.

I'm not God, I'm not even a judge. This is probably a good thing for Geert Gijs. If I were either I would strike him down where he stood. His action is nothing short of medical malfeasance.

I made an attempt to donate to the World Food Program (WFP) through my PayPal account, but PayPal has refused to allow me to make any transactions because there is no credit card on file (the one that was there had expired and I foolishly removed it from my account.) Fortunately, I can still help. For those of you in Atlanta, you may have heard of Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless (http://hoseafeedthehungry.com/). They have an active program already in Haiti, partnering with Christian Revival Center in Savannah, Georgia. HFTH has been involved with this ministry work in Haiti for eight years. I'll be going to HFTH this week to donate cash, 100% of last weeks gross paycheck. That only comes to $300, so I encourage all of you to make a contribution as well.

Here are some people that can put your donations to good use:

American Red Cross
The American Red Cross' primary focus during the initial response of an emergency is feeding, sheltering and supplying any other basic needs. To donate: Go to RedCross.org, hit donate now button at top and then International Response Fund. You also can text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 to the International Response Fund. The money will go directly to relief efforts in Haiti. Or call 1-800-Red-Cross.

AmeriCares
This nonprofit disaster relief organization delivers medicine, medical supplies and aid to people in crisis around the world. To donate, call 1-800-486-HELP or go to AmeriCares.org. Donations will go toward medicine and medical supplies and for expenses for providing that medical aid.

Care
This humanitarian organization's main focus is to fight global poverty, specifically by empowering marginalized women and girls. To donate to the Haiti relief fund effort, go to Care.org or call 1-800-521-CARE. Money will go toward food, water and sanitation, shelter and emergency health response.

Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services is an aid agency that works with emergency relief, micro-finance, AIDS/HIV relief, agriculture, water and sanitation, among other projects in countries around the world. To donate, go to crs.org, or call 1-877-HELP-CRS. You also can text RELIEF to 30644. You will receive a text message back with instructions on how to donate. You can send a check to Catholic Relief services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090. Write "Haiti earthquake" in memo area. The money will go toward immediate needs, which includes water, food, hygiene kits, bedding and basic cooking utensils, among other items.

Direct Relief International
Direct Relief provides medical attention to those in need on an ongoing basis and in emergencies. Monetary donations go toward medical aid, supplies and equipment in Haiti. To donate, go to directrelief.org or call 805-964-4767 and 800-676-1638, or go through Google Checkout.

Food For the Poor
The agency delivers food, medical supplies and other goods that are donated to the poor. To donate to its Haiti relief efforts, go to foodforthepoor.org, or call 1-800-487-1158. For those living in South Florida, bring donated items to the Food for the Poor headquarters office at 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. The charity will accept canned fish, canned meat, canned milk, canned baby formula and bottled water. Monetary donations will go toward purchasing food and supplies as well as shipping costs.

International Medical Corps
This emergency response agency focuses on health in emergency situations. Monetary donations go toward purchasing medical supplies, medicine and emergency kits and transporting these supplies. Call 1-800-481-4462 or go to imcworldwide.org

International Relief Teams
The nonprofit organizes volunteer teams to provide medical and non-medical assistance to victims of disasters and poverty. To donate, go to irteams.org or call 619-284-7979. Checks can be made out to International Relief Teams, 4560 Alvarado Canyon Road, Suite 2G, San Diego, CA 92120-4309. The money will be used for medical supplies, medicine and other relief supplies, and to support volunteers heading to Haiti for relief efforts.

Mercy Corps
The organization provides humanitarian assistance and economic opportunities in the world's toughest places, specifically those dealing with poverty, conflict and instability. To donate, go to MercyCorps.org. Money will go toward immediate humanitarian needs in Haiti, which may include, food, water and temporary shelter.

The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army's mission is to provide food, shelter, clothing and spiritual comfort during disasters. To donate money, go to salvationarmyusa.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Make sure you designate the donation for "Haiti Earthquake." Money will go to the Salvation Army in Haiti, which will determine the country's immediate needs, including water, food, medicine and transportation.

World Food Programme
The food assistance agency's main focus is to fight hunger worldwide. The organization is working to bring food to Haiti. To donate, go to wfp.org.

World Water Relief
The agency's main focus is bringing clean water to developing countries. To donate, go to worldwaterrelief.org or mail checks to 8343 Roswell Road, Suite 455 Atlanta, GA 30350-2810 or call 404-242-1601 or 214-500-9417. Money will go directly to water filtration systems that will be installed in Haiti.

Hosea Feed The Hungry and Homeless
International Disaster Relief Fund
PO Box 4672
Atlanta, GA 30302
Please mark your donation for Haiti Earthquake relief