PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Canadian troops stationed in Port-au-Prince have joined forces with the Caricom Haiti team in a collaborative effort to move aid and medical services more quickly to thousands of Haitians living in remote communities in the rural part of the country.

Under the arrangement reached with the Canadians who share camp border with Caricom’s contingent, they will provide air transportation for Caricom personnel to areas not easily reached.

Caricom’s head of Command Major Jaime Ogilvie of the Jamaican Defence Force (JDF) said based on initial assessment, very little damage was done in the rural areas.

“There is need for some medical assistance, but the needs existed long before the earthquake. One of the things to contend with is that a number of residents fleeing Port-au-Prince have relocated to that area. That in itself brings with it other problems,” Ogilvie said.

Captain Garth Anderson of the JDF, who along with Ogilvie worked out the details of the agreement, said the move was timely, welcomed and the Canadians were willing to assist.

“As you can see, we are neighbours with the Canadians. In an effort to avoid the saturation that we have seen in some of the more popular areas, and with the approval of the Government of Haiti, we decided to concentrate on the smaller and more rural communities within our reach, where we believe we would have a greater impact,” Anderson told the Observer.

According to him, there was saturation in some areas by the USA, Spaniards and Canadian officials, plus other countries with large contingents of personnel.

“This led us to seek alternative means of transportation, and in dialogue with our neighbouring Canadian forces, they offered to provide airlift assistance for us to get to these areas,” Anderson said.

As a result of the collaboration, on Tuesday morning a small team left the base by Canadian helicopter to Ile de la Goave and Luly.

“The number one need is food because they are poor and the next thing is primary health care,” said Dr Sandra Swaby, who is one of Caricom’s medics here in Port-au-Prince.

“People are fleeing the city to be there. Where we went there is a very nice orphanage that is run by Gladys and Henri, and the orphanage has a little clinic. And they get a visiting American doctor and they say 80 per day pass through that one little clinic. But it is not enough for the community,” Dr Swaby said.

She said that at the Ile de la Goave there was only one hospital serving about 120,000 persons on the entire island.

Tuesday’s visit to the island was a reconnaissance mission, however, ten persons were treated for various conditions ranging from infected wounds to muscular aches and sprains.

Anderson said, however, that difficulties may arise from time to time under the collaboration.

“The only limitation is if he gets a mission of higher priority from his superiors. Already there is difficulty getting to these communities that are further away from Port-au -Prince,” he said.

He pointed out that all other support from the United Nations continues.

“This is just an enhancement to give us further reach for a greater impact,” Anderson said.