Visit PIH.org
Stand With Haiti.
PIH has been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. We urgently need your support to help those affected by the recent earthquake. More About PIH
Solar Power to build back better
01/29/2010
“A lack of power was responsible for a lot of deaths in the first few days [after the earthquake],” wrote PIH Executive Director Ophelia Dahl in a recent message.
With electricity knocked out around the country, surgeons were forced to operate on patients using flashlights. Laboratory and diagnostic equipment were rendered useless. Electric water pumps were nonfunctional. Gas generators helped fill the gap. But finding fuel quickly became difficult, and gas that could be found carried price tags as high as $20 a gallon in the days following the earthquake. Many of our clinics powered by gas generators came uncomfortably close to running out of fuel.
As PIH begins to move from short-term relief efforts towards long-term recovery and rebuilding work, finding sustainable ways to power hospitals will become a priority.
Since 2006, PIH has been working in partnership with the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) to provide solar power to hospitals in Rwanda, Lesotho, and most recently, in Haiti.
Last fall, SELF installed a 10,000 watt solar panel system on the roof of the public hospital in Boucan Carre, where PIH operates in partnership with the Ministry of Health. While hospitals on the grid in the capital city (roughly 3 hours by car from Boucan Carre) were forced to care for patients by candlelight, the solar panels at Boucan Carre ensured that electricity was one less thing the staff had to worry about as they began treating an influx of earthquake victims.
Boucan Carre was just the first of ten sites in Haiti that SELF is planning to work with PIH to help power. Following the earthquake, having the sun power medical facilities will be one of the goals for helping Haiti to build back better. Help support this initiative.
Recent Headlines
- “Life continues even in the shadow of sadness”
PIH physician Evan Lyon reflects on the achievements—and challenges—of the past two weeks…
02/01/2010- “I believe that there is an opportunity to build Haiti back better”
PIH co-founder Paul Farmer posts about testifying at the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign…
02/01/2010- Our partners in health: Samin Nosrat, cook
How a bake sale raised $22,000 to support Haiti.
01/31/2010- Our partners in health: Generation NXT, nightlife philanthropists
DJs and dancing to support Haiti.
01/30/2010- ONEXONE partners with PIH
ONEXONE Foundation has been an instrumental partner of PIH in responding to those in need…
01/30/2010- More Posts
To donate by mail, send a check made out to Partners In Health to:
Partners In Health | P.O. Box 845578 | Boston, MA 02284-5578
Partners In Health
888 Commonwealth Avenue, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02215
+1 617-432-5256
© 2009 - 2010 Partners in Health. All Rights Reserved. Legal Terms of Use / Privacy Policy
Partners In Health have been working in Haiti for over 20 years. Check out their website.
>http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/news-entry/solar-power-to-build-back-better/