Support SIGN in Haiti

[Myles Clough]

I am sure I speak for all members of the Orthopod group and members of the international orthopaedic community when I express my grief for the disaster in Haiti and our support for the millions of people affected.

Possibly the most effective humanitarian aid and one which will have a lasting legacy is being offered by the Surgical Implant Generation Network (http://www.sign-post.org) (SIGN) which provides high quality IM nails free of charge to institutions in more than 50 countries. The SIGn implant is inserted without the need for fluoroscopy or power tools and is well adapted to desperate conditions. SIGN had a vigorous program in Haiti before the disaster and Dr Zirckle is on the ground already in Port au Prince arranging for 2 tons of equipment and supplies to be flown in. He and his team have already started operating (by flashlight when the power supply failed!) and there will be a roster of SIGN volunteer surgeons traveling to the area over the next 6 months. A day by day report is filed at http://www.signhaiti.blogspot.com/ 

Donations to SIGN are urgently needed to support this work. $100 buys a SIGN nail and a future for an injured person and 95% of donations actually end up used for supplying implants. Because of the nature of the work support for SIGN is probably the number one bang-for-the-buck donation in this situation. One of the most satisfying outcomes is the knowledge that even after the emergency situation has been cleared future injury victims in Haiti will continue to have access to implants from the SIGN program.

Myles Clough MD FRCSC

Orthopaedic Surgeon, Retired

Kamloops, BC

myles...@shaw.ca

Clinical Instructor, University of British Columbia

Associate Editor, Orthogate www.orthogate.org

Editor, Orthopaedic Web Links (OWL) www.orthopaedicweblinks.com