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US halts Haiti victim evacuations Concern over Haiti airlift halt
(about 4 hours later)
The US military has stopped evacuating Haitian earthquake victims to the US in a reported dispute over medical costs. US doctors in Haiti have voiced concern about the suspension of evacuation flights to America for critically injured Haitian earthquake victims.
Flights stopped on Wednesday because some hospitals were reluctant to take patients from Haiti, a US military official told the New York Times. A senior US medic told the BBC that scores of patients could die if they did not get treatment in the US soon.
A doctor in the quake zone warned 100 of his patients would die in the next 48 hours unless they were airlifted. The US military stopped the flights to Florida on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, only women will be allowed to collect food from new UN distribution sites in Haiti's capital. A White House spokesman told the BBC the move was due to "logistical issues", not over medical costs as had been reported earlier.
"There has been no policy decision made to suspend medical evacuation flights. This is an unprecedented relief effort with enormous logistical hurdles, and we are working through those in an effort to resume medical evacuation flights," the White House spokesman said.
The consequences - in the kids with crushed chests and on ventilators and respirators, and some of the adults - are they will die Barth Green, US doctor in Haiti UK to ship iron to Haiti victims Seaside slum where gun rules BBC Caribbean
He stressed the flights had been halted due to "logistical reasons that have nothing to do with funding".
The New York Times earlier quoted a US military as saying that the flights were suspended because of a dispute over whether the federal government or the state government of Florida would pay for the evacuees' medical care.
Hundreds of patients with spinal injuries, burns and other wounds have been evacuated to the US since the 12 January quake that killed up to 200,000 people.Hundreds of patients with spinal injuries, burns and other wounds have been evacuated to the US since the 12 January quake that killed up to 200,000 people.
In a separate development, the World Food said it had established fixed sites for food distribution in the Haitian capital, Port au Prince, where only women would will be allowed in to collect earthquake relief supplies.
'Order from above'
Barth Green, a senior American doctor at a field hospital in Port-au-Prince airport, warned that the suspension of the so-called mercy flights could result in the deaths of scores of critically injured patients.
Dr Barth Green, Dr Cathy Burneit and Dr David Pitcher describe difficulties in Haiti
"The consequences - in the kids with crushed chests and on ventilators and respirators, and some of the adults - are they will die," Dr Green told the BBC.
He said there were "hundreds of thousands of critically injured and severely disabled Haitians, and we're only trying to send a few hundred to America".
"It's really a small issue," Dr Green said.
He also said the US State Department, Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security had until now co-operated with the programme, but an "order from above" had halted the flights.
Among the patients was a five-year-old girl suffering from tetanus in a small leg wound.
She would die within a day unless evacuated, Dr David Pitcher, a medic at the institute's temporary field hospital at Haiti's international airport, told the Associated Press.
'Reaching saturation''Reaching saturation'
We have 100 patients who will die in the next day or two if we don't Medevac them Dr Barth GreenDoctor in Haiti UK to ship iron to Haiti victims Seaside slum where gun rules BBC Caribbean
Confirming the flights had stopped, US Transportation Command spokesman Capt Kevin Aandahl said on Saturday: "Apparently, some states were unwilling to accept the entry of Haitian patients for follow-on critical care.Confirming the flights had stopped, US Transportation Command spokesman Capt Kevin Aandahl said on Saturday: "Apparently, some states were unwilling to accept the entry of Haitian patients for follow-on critical care.
"We manage air evacuation missions, but without a destination to fly to we can't move anybody. If we don't have permission to bring them, or they won't take them in, we can't fly the mission. It's pretty simple.""We manage air evacuation missions, but without a destination to fly to we can't move anybody. If we don't have permission to bring them, or they won't take them in, we can't fly the mission. It's pretty simple."
He declined to say which states did not want to accept patients.He declined to say which states did not want to accept patients.
A spokesman for Florida Governor Charlie Crist said he was not aware of any hospital in his state refusing patients.A spokesman for Florida Governor Charlie Crist said he was not aware of any hospital in his state refusing patients.
More than 500 quake victims have been treated so far in Florida hospitals, according to the New York Times.
In a letter on Tuesday to US Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Mr Crist asked the federal government to activate the National Disaster Medical System, which usually pays for victims' care in domestic disasters.In a letter on Tuesday to US Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Mr Crist asked the federal government to activate the National Disaster Medical System, which usually pays for victims' care in domestic disasters.
He warned: "Florida's healthcare system is quickly reaching saturation, especially in the area of high-level trauma care."He warned: "Florida's healthcare system is quickly reaching saturation, especially in the area of high-level trauma care."
Women-onlyWomen-only
The Republican governor's letter noted the system was already under strain because of the winter influx of elderly people.The Republican governor's letter noted the system was already under strain because of the winter influx of elderly people.
Haiti's president on how to rebuild nation
Dr Barth Green, who is involved in the relief effort in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, warned that his patients needed to get to better hospitals.
"We have 100 critically ill patients who will die in the next day or two if we don't med-evac them," Dr Green, chairman of the University of Miami's Global Institute for Community Health and Development, told AP news agency.
Among the patients was a five-year-old girl suffering from tetanus in a small leg wound.
She would die within a day unless evacuated, Dr David Pitcher, a medic at the institute's temporary field hospital at Haiti's international airport, told AP.
Meanwhile, the UN World Food Programme said it had set up 16 distribution points in Port-au-Prince which would open on Sunday and reach many more hungry Haitians.Meanwhile, the UN World Food Programme said it had set up 16 distribution points in Port-au-Prince which would open on Sunday and reach many more hungry Haitians.
But only women will be allowed in to collect rations, because, the WFP says, this has proved that's the best way to get food to the people who need it.But only women will be allowed in to collect rations, because, the WFP says, this has proved that's the best way to get food to the people who need it.
Men will be encouraged wait outside the distribution centres to accompany women after they have been given rations, because lone women would be more vulnerable to attack.Men will be encouraged wait outside the distribution centres to accompany women after they have been given rations, because lone women would be more vulnerable to attack.
The World Food Programme is also starting to hand out food coupons entitling each family to collect 25kg (55lb) of rice rations, designed to last two weeks. The WFP is also starting to hand out food coupons entitling each family to collect 25kg (55lb) of rice rations, designed to last two weeks.