'Committed to being there.' Stamford-based Americares deploys emergency medical team to Jamaica for hurricane relief
Stamford-based Americares says it's deploying a 16-person emergency medical team to Jamaica to help treat chronic disease as well as urgent injuries like infections.
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It's been two weeks since Hurricane Melissa claimed the lives of dozens of people and ravaged parts of Jamaica and Haiti. People on the ground are still struggling.
Stamford-based Americares says it's deploying a 16-person emergency medical team to Jamaica to help treat chronic disease as well as urgent injuries like infections.
The team will be comprised of doctors, nurses, and mental health experts from 15 different states, including Connecticut.
"Our emergency medical team is credentialed to provide medical care for a minimum of 50 patients per day," says Mariel Fonteyn, emergency response director. "We're committed to being there for at least the next six weeks."
Americares says that mental health experts will be a critical part of the team to help residents cope with the unimaginable trauma of Hurricane Melissa.
"The mental health toll on the country is incredible, and is going to continue for a long time," Fonteyn says. "That fear, that sense of being overwhelmed, is why we're also including mental health experts as a critical component of our emergency medical team to start helping people deal with that."
Americares has been on the ground since the day airports reopened, helping provide clean water and healthcare to those affected.
Anyone interested in helping can visit the Americares website.
