JAN 19: "WE ONLY HAVE MATERIALS FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS"

Transcribed from an MSNBC interview with Dr. Lyon from Partners In Health at around 12:30PM today:
DR LYON
I'm working at the national university medical center, the general hospital for port-au-prince.
this is the main hospital for the entire nation.
we have over 1,000 patients who are awaiting operations.
we have the infrastructure of this hospital destroyed.
we have some operation rooms up and running.
we've been able to do 70 to 80 surgical operations.
right behind me in the courtyard there are 1,000 people prepared for operations, they're getting antibiotics, they're getting wound care.
but they need surgery.
we have no pain medication.
please remember in a few hours we're approaching one week from the time of the earthquake.
so these people with compound fractures, with bones piercing skin
...have been sitting for one week without pain control, infections are setting in and we're losing patients minute by minute.

MSNBC What do you need most right now?

right now, we need material to keep operating.
we have 7 operating rooms up and running.
but we only have materials for the next 12 hours to keep moving.
we have no food for the patients. we have no water for the patients.
we have plenty of Haitian nurses, we have plenty of Haitian doctors who want to work but who don't have materials.
the Haitian leadership of this hospital, the General Medical Director who I'm working for and coordinating with is here 24 hours a day with me.
our structure, our people are here, we're intact but we need supplies.
we need medicine.

MSNBC Have you heard that supplies are on the way?

we've been hearing for the last four days that supplies are on the way.
but except from some small supplies brought in by NGOs, a few things that our organization Partners In Health have been able to move,
some significant materials from the Canadian and Norweign Red Cross, we need materials.
the patients are hungry, the patients are thirsty.
we are running out of antibiotics.
we never had any pain medicine.
so yes, we've heard material are on their way, but they are not coming.

MSNBC The US is building up a presence in Haiti, there are now 14 ships including the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson. 4 Coast Guard Cutters and 6,600 sailors serving the efforts. The hospital ship USNS Comfort arrives tomorrow.