As Hurricane Irma advances, Direct Relief is communicating with the Florida Association of Community Health Centers, as well as the Asociacion de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico to assess the needs of healthcare clinics that may be impacted.

Direct Relief has already prepositioned emergency medical supplies at 14 locations across Florida, ready to be used by clinicians as needed. The packs contain enough medicines and supplies to treat 100 people for 3-5 days.

Over 70 healthcare partners in Florida and Puerto Rico have been notified, and Direct Relief is ready to respond to providers as they request medical resources.

Earlier this week, Direct Relief deployed a module of emergency medications from its warehouse in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti to Cap-Haitien in anticipation of Irma’s projected path on the north side of the country.

The module arrived at Justinien University Hospital and contains enough emergency medicines and supplies to treat 1,000 patients.

Cap-Haitien is Haiti’s second-largest city and is prone to flooding, given its location on the northern coast. According to longtime long-time Direct Relief partner in the area, Konbit Sante, the new pediatric building, where the medications will be stored, is thought to be one of the safest locations in the region, having been constructed to withstand up to a 7.0 magnitude earthquake and is elevated at least 10 feet above ground level to avoid flooding.

Hurricane Preparedness Packs are also stationed throughout the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.