Some 4,000 Haitians who lost limbs in the deadly Jan. 12 quake face an uncertain future, with many struggling to recover from rushed amputations that resulted in complications and infections, The Associated Press reports.
Field hospitals already teeming with injured survivors are struggling to attend to amputees who have returned to seek follow-up treatment or second surgeries. Humanitarian workers are also growing concerned over how the Haitian society, shaken as it is, would treat the disabled as the nation begins a long recovery and redevelopment process.
“A physical handicap is a huge disadvantage in Haiti, where more than half the population was unemployed before the quake. With no way to compete, many have been cast off and left to beg on the streets, feeding a stigma against the disabled,” the report said.
