Gangs abduct 2 doctors in Haiti, including a needed surgeon

Officials say two doctors at hospitals treating earthquake victims in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince have been kidnapped, forcing one of the institutions to a declare a two-day shutdown in protest

LES CAYES, Haiti -- Two doctors at hospitals treating earthquake victims in Haiti’s capital have been kidnapped, forcing one of the institutions to a declare a two-day shutdown in protest, officials said Thursday. The abductions Tuesday and Wednesday dealt a major blow to attempts to control criminal violence that has threatened disaster response efforts in Port-au-Prince. Dr. Workens Alexandre, who was seized, was among the country’s few orthopedic surgeons, desperately needed for quake victims with broken limbs. An official at the Bernard Mevs Hospital said 45 of the 48 quake victims being treated at the facility needed orthopedic surgery.