- 622
- 10
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2007
- , Latin America correspondent
- The Guardian, Wednesday 10 February 2010
- A Haitian man who has been pulled alive from rubble in Port-au-Prince may have been trapped since an earthquake devastated the city 27 days ago.
He was malnourished, delirious and dehydrated but had no serious injuries, prompting astonishment at what could be the most remarkable survival story from the earthquake.
Muncie reportedly told doctors that someone "in a white coat" brought him water while he was pinned down, but even after being rescued he appeared to think he was still under rubble and left gaps in his account.
Relatives said he vanished when the magnitude-7.0 quake levelled Haiti's capital, killing more than 200,000 people.
Experts said few people survived more than three days under rubble and on 23 January Haiti's government declared an end to search-and-rescue efforts.
It was unclear who found Muncie in Croix-des-Bossales seaside market, a ruin which has been looted and burned since the quake.
The discovery astonished relatives, who assumed they would not see Muncie again. His mother told local reporters: "I thought he was dead, but God kept him from dying."
Doctors said the patient appeared disoriented and may have hallucinated during his ordeal. "Initially, I'm sure he had his senses with him, so maybe he was able to find some kind of resources," Dr Mike Connelly, who was treating Muncie at the US field hospital, told CNN.
Muncie must have had access to water while he was trapped, the doctor added, but may not have had food. "He was emaciated. He hadn't had anything in quite some time. He had open wounds that were festering on both of his feet."
Dushyantha Jayaweera, of the University of Miami field hospital, told Reuters it was plausible that Muncie had been buried since the quake.
"It is unusual but not impossible. He was quite dehydrated and he was wasted, so there are certain things that suggest that it's true," Jayaweera said.
Until Muncie the last known survivor was Darlene Etienne, 16, hailed as a miracle girl after being pulled from rubble on 27 January.
Other news from Haiti was less cheerful. The United Nations said it would cut off shipments of free medicine to hospitals that charge patients. About a dozen public and private hospitals in the capital and other parts of Haiti have begun charging for medicine, UN officials told AP.
"The money is huge," said Christophe Rerat, of the Pan American Health Organisation. About $1m (£637,000) worth of drugs have been sent from UN warehouses alone to Haitian hospitals in the past three weeks, he said.
After the quake authorities immediately announced all medical care was free – though in many places it was absent or overwhelmed. Haiti now has about 90 hospitals, including public and private hospitals and field hospitals.
With the rainy season looming medical focus is turning from trauma wounds and amputations to infections and disease. Even in normal times spring rain brings mudslides and health problems but with an estimated 1 million people homeless – many are living in improvised, unsanitary camps using sheets as tents – the post-quake impact could be disastrous.
"There will be health concerns," said engineer Mario Nicoleau, of the US Agency for International Development's office in Haiti. "The risks will be enormous."
Last night, the Haitian government raised the death toll for the earthquake to 230,000 from 212,000 and said that more bodies remain uncounted.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk...n-rescued-27-days-rubble
