Haiti: help for baby Landina
Updated on 07 February 2010
The tragic case of critically injured Haitian baby Landina Seignon we reported on Channel 4 News has prompted international efforts to secure the life-saving treatment her doctors say she needs.
On Saturday, we reported the case of the three-month-old baby Landina, who was badly injured in the Haiti earthquake and is being treated by a British doctor, David Nott, in Port-au-Prince.
The girl was pulled from the rubble of a hospital and now requires urgent medical evacuation but first she has to be allowed to leave the country despite not having official papers or any known surviving family.
Landina has had her right arm amputated and she has burns to her head. There have been offers from around the world and it seems the Haitian government may be working to help her get the surgery she needs.
Audrey Landmann, field co-ordinator at Haiti's Saint-Louis Hospital said: "The Haiti minister of health has proposed to send a specialised surgeon to see the little baby and give his opinion about the medical treatment she needs, which could eventually helps us to get the authorisation from the Haitian government to go abroad."
Several agencies and even one private individual have offered to help with the flights.
As a result of Channel 4 News's inquiry, charity UNICEF said it was following up with MSF and Haitian authorities "with a view to ensuring the child gets the urgent medical treatment required".
The Foreign Office told Channel 4 News it is standing by ready to help, and there is hope she may soon be allowed to leave Haiti.
Dr Nott told Channel 4 News: "The major problem is that the baby has no mother or father, she is guardianless and has nobody to look after her.
"So she is three months old with one arm and a burnt head and after a while infection will get on board and she will probably die."
Although Landina is only one child, Simon Eccles, a consultant craniofacial surgeon with Facing the World, said her case may be key in opening the door to other children who needed similar help.
"Our prime concern is for the safeguarding of this child, and the global safeguarding in terms of what only happened a few days ago with some children that were going to be taken to America," he told Channel 4 News.
"The most important thing is that we get government approval and sponsorship in terms of guardian protection to take this child away. Of course the other side is we'll then return the child when it's safe."
