Asked what the public should know about how Haitians were dealing with the disaster’s aftermath, Dr. Smith said the spirit of the Haitian people stuck in his memory.

“Even though they have suffered so much, there is still hope,” he said.

Dr. Smith, a general surgeon, treated victims’ broken bones and performed operations to prevent further damage.

The doctors worked with members of the Caribbean Community medical team in a private hospital that “threw open its doors to everyone,” he said. The response of the international community and the willingness of others to do what they could for the survivors also impressed him, Dr. Smith said.

He added that there is still a major need for tents and funds.

Two other Virgin Islands doctors — Drs. Belkys Rhymer and Klas Buring – returned from northwestern Haiti on Jan. 26.

The territory’s Rotary clubs organised the flights and lodging for the doctors’ trips. Volunteer pilots flew them in, and Rotarians in Haiti organised their food and lodging.

For Dr. Jones, what he saw when he arrived in Port-Au-Prince was worse than he expected.

“I didn’t realise 80 percent of the buildings were broken or destroyed,” he said. “When you go there to see poverty mixed with a natural disaster, it’s worse.”

Dr. Jones worked in an outpatient clinic, treating and stitching wounds, helping patients who recently had arms and legs amputated. He saw more than 40 patients each day.

“Everyone I spoke with, all of my patients said the same thing when I asked what happened to them: ‘The bricks, the bricks fell on me,’” Dr. Jones said.

He said one girl who lost her left arm particularly sticks in his mind. Overall, though, many of the children appeared unfazed by their recently lost limbs and devastating injuries.

“The kids, they’re in the clinics smiling and playing. They took it better than the parents did,” Dr. Jones said.

The full article appears in the Feb. 4, 2010 issue.