Pittsburgh Post-Gazette —
At the urging of state officials, 11 Pennsylvania hospitals, including two in Pittsburgh, are opening their doors to treat Haitians who have serious earthquake-related injuries such as severe burns, spinal cord injuries, head trauma and amputated limbs…
[Gov. Ed] Rendell wrote to federal officials to say that Pennsylvania hospitals would treat Haitian victims, thereby helping Florida hospitals, which are currently overwhelmed with at least 600 Haitians who were severely injured in the Jan. 12 tremors that rocked the capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, knocking down many buildings…
He said state officials got a call last week from the U.S. Transportation Command “requesting that Pennsylvania accept Haitian trauma patients.” As a result, the state Health Department has agreed “to coordinate medical assessments at [Pennsylvania] airports, transportation to the hospitals and communicate with the hospitals regarding available beds.”,,,
Mr. Rendell said he is hoping the federal government will cover all the expenses run up at Pennsylvania hospitals, but if it doesn’t, he will ask for private contributions to cover the costs…. (more)
