Haiti Children Project Partners with South Carolina Hospitals For Haiti

The South Carolina Hospital Association and its member hospitals are responding to the needs for medical supplies and medications in Haiti through its just announced SC Hospitals for Haiti initiative.

“SCHA has learned of a wonderful opportunity for our state’s hospitals to participate in a meaningful effort that is getting real relief to the people of Haiti. This is truly a unique situation where we can get medications and other medical supplies directly to the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti,” says Dr. Rick Foster, senior vice president of quality and patient safety at SCHA.

Wade McGuinn, a Columbia homebuilder who has been actively involved in helping the people of Haiti for several years, has created a way to get food and supplies directly to Jeremie, a region that is cut off from supplies and receiving a steady influx of severely injured Haitians from Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. McGuinn has been able to acquire the use of three privately owned planes at no charge to fly into the rural areas, landing on dirt strips to avoid the bottleneck being reported at the Port-au-Prince airport. The planes are also being used to ferry medical workers into areas they have not been able to reach before now.

The Haiti Children Project (HCP), a 501 c 3 organization created by McGuinn, successfully sent 1500 pounds of rice and beans from the Columbia (SC) airport to Jeremie, Haiti, on Friday. By Friday evening, the people of the town, including residents of a children’s orphanage and a home for indigent elderly persons started by the Haiti Children Project, were enjoying their first true meal in a week.

More flights are being planned to carry more food as well as medical supplies and medications. SCHA will be coordinating hospital donations of medications and supplies to the HCP. Because the food and supplies, airplanes, and manpower are being donated, the only cost that HCP is incurring is the cost of jet fuel which is $6 to $7 per gallon so HCP also welcomes any financial contributions from persons or organizations wanting to help with those fuel costs. Checks can be made payable to Haiti Children Project. All donations are tax deductible for tax year 2009. Please indicate “disaster relief” as the purpose of the contribution and mail checks to Haiti Children Project, 150 Whiteford Way, Lexington, SC  29072.