PORT-AU-PRINCE - Yesterday the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) donated a Federal Medical Station, valued at approximately $577,000, to St. Damien Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The pediatric hospital survived the 7.0 magnitude January 12 earthquake relatively unscathed, but was quickly overwhelmed by patients of all ages and unprepared for the numbers of adults requiring urgent care.

Father Rick Frechette, who runs St. Damien Hospital, said, "This gift from USAID gives us the chance to take the first few giant strides towards organizing a medical and surgical program for adults, especially those victims of the earthquake."

The Federal Medical Station includes the components to stand up a 250-bed, acute-care facility, with an extensive medical cache to care for both inpatient and outpatient needs. This includes resuscitation kits for both adults and children and supplies to provide temporary stabilization for patients with respiratory failure. It also contains necessary items to stock a full pharmacy along with nursing, administrative, and housekeeping stations.

USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team Leader Tim Callaghan remarked, "We are so pleased to support the work of St. Damien Hospital and Father Frechette through this donation. We hope that the facility will serve the community well and ultimately alleviate a small amount of the suffering caused by the devastating earthquake last month."

St. Damien Hospital is affiliated with Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, founded by American priest Father William Wasson. In addition to providing medical and surgical care, the organization runs a residence, camp activities, and school for orphans and other vulnerable children. It also distributes food and water to communities in need and provides vocational training opportunities. St. Damien Hospital is funded through private contributions and the support of Friends of the Orphans, Our Little Brothers and Sisters, and the Passionists, a Roman Catholic religious order.

For more information about this and other U.S. Government initiatives to support Haiti's longer-term needs, or for high-res pictures of the photos available below, contact the U.S. Government Joint Information Center at HaitiJIC@usaid.gov.