News: Mercy mission - St Mary’s Hospital surgeons’ help for earthquake-hit Haiti

Published: 29 January 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM

THREE surgeons from St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington have flown to Haiti to provide urgent medical care to people injured in the earthquake, writes Jamie Welham.
Consultant trauma surgeon David North, oral surgeon Asif Hamid and plastic surgeon Shehan Hettiaratchy are working in an inflatable ­hospital set up by the medical aid organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the capital Port-au-Prince.
Speaking before his trip, Mr Nott, who has worked in numerous conflict zones including Darfur, said he wanted to do his bit to help.
“I have mixed emotions about going – ­excitement and trepidation,” he added. “You can’t really prepare yourself mentally, you just have to expect the worst and hope for the best.”
Mr Hettiaratchy also has experience of ­working in difficult circumstances, having served with the army in Afghanistan. 
He said: “Each new posting presents different challenges. As clinicians with specialist skills I think it’s important we offer all the help we can.”