By next week, 100,000 surgical masks from a warehouse in Mocksville will be on their way to Haiti.
And that's just a sampling of the medical supplies and equipment that local people and organizations are contributing to the huge flow of aid making its way to Haiti in the aftermath of Tuesday's earthquake.
The masks are among the supplies that Novant Health Inc., which owns Forsyth Medical Center, is donating to the relief efforts. Yesterday, Novant workers sorted through and stacked 37 pallets of medical supplies, including masks, gloves, IV supplies and other equipment used in triage.
The pallets will be packed into a large tractor-trailer and sent to Samaritan's Purse in Boone. Samaritan's Purse, an international relief agency, plans to send a plane filled with supplies to Haiti sometime next week, said Mark Welch, the senior director of supply-chain logistics for Novant.
"Samaritan's Purse, we felt, was a good organization, and they have a track record," Welch said. "We are comfortable that these products will make it to Haiti, and that was key."
Novant keeps a reserve of equipment from 12 of its hospitals to be used in such emergencies as earthquakes, Welch said. Medical workers going on mission trips also draw on supplies from the warehouse.
Officials at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center are waiting to hear how they can best contribute to the relief effort, said Bonnie Davis, a spokesperson for the medical center.
"We expect that sometime next week, relief agencies on the ground in Haiti will be able to regroup and tell the federal government what kinds of things are needed," Davis said. "We're just waiting to take the cue from the state in this matter."
In the meantime, the medical center is putting together a list of potential volunteers who could go, if that's what is needed, she said.
Kevin Fussell, a critical-care doctor at Salem Chest Specialists, decided that he couldn't wait.
After realizing the magnitude of the earthquake, Fussell decided on Thursday to make the trip. He hoped to be in the Dominican Republic today, making his way toward Haiti.
"I'm supposed to be on call this weekend and a busy clinic next week, but the practice has been very supportive," he said. "It's definitely coming together quickly."
Fussell will be in Haiti with World Water Relief, an Atlanta nonprofit organization that gets clean water to people in need. He has made about 12 trips to the Dominican Republic.
"I'm not normally a first-responder to natural disasters, but this feels like it's in our neighborhood and we want to step up and help where we can," Fussell said.
He planned to leave last night. Fussell said he and another person from the group hope to help install 18 water-filtration systems that will pump between 3 and 5 gallons of water a minute.
"There are a lot of dead now, and there will be a lot of dying in the next few weeks," Fussell said. "We're trying to prevent the next wave of illness and death that occurs when people who lack clean water and hygiene start getting cholera and diarrheal illnesses."
Fussell plans to be in Haiti for about 10 days.
"Our organization will be in and out of there long term," he said.
As Fussell heads into Haiti, one woman with local ties is glad to be out.
Pam Carter, who has family in Kernersville, was in Haiti on a missionary trip. The U.S. Embassy few her out of Haiti on a cargo plane, and she arrived in New Jersey yesterday morning.
Carter's husband, Ken, was the minister at Mount Tabor United Methodist Church for several years. He now works at a church in Charlotte.
As aid efforts kick into gear, people with family in Haiti continue their wait.
Yesterday, Marlene Duchatellier said she was worried about elderly cousins who live in Port-au-Prince.
"I'm very concerned. I can't sleep until I hear something positive about them," she said.
Duchatellier was born in Haiti and moved to the United States in 1964. She has heard from many family members and friends.
"They lost their houses, but they are alive," she said.
lo'donnell@wsjournal.com
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