Medical Team International sends orthopedic surgical team to Haiti

An orthopedic surgical team is departing on Sunday, January 17. They will be carrying a variety of desperately needed orthopedic devices.

Medical Teams International's first disaster relief team is already en route and arrives in Haiti on Friday, January 15. The team includes veteran volunteers Dr. Joe Markee and Dr. Dan Diamond. They will be joined by registered nurses Linda Markee, Deanna King and Anne Blaufus. Dr. Markee and his wife Linda served as a medical missionaries in Haiti for many years. Dr. Diamond specializes in disaster response efforts. He coordinated our medical emergency response following hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, La.

As soon as the team is on the ground in Haiti, they will start treating the most needy patients for injuries and illnesses such as diarrhea and pneumonia. Those with the most severe injuries will be transferred to a hospital.

The second team will be led by Dr. Lew Zirkle, an orthopedic surgeon from Richland, WA, and will include several other orthopedic specialists. Dr. Zirkle has led many training sessions for Haitian orthopedic surgeons and knows the orthopedic community well. He'll be taking with him orthopedic supplies donated by the De Puy companies, an affiliate of Johnson and Johnson.

Additional teams are being assembled and will leave next week. More