 Towns in the eastern Dominican Republic began preparing for tens of thousands of refugees , and by 16 January hospitals close to the border had been filled to capacity with Haitians . Some began reporting having expended stocks of critical medical supplies such as antibiotics by 17 January . The border was reinforced by Dominican soldiers , and the government of the Dominican Republic asserted that all Haitians who crossed the border for medical assistance would be allowed to stay only temporarily . A local governor stated , " We have a great desire and we will do everything <unk> possible to help Haitian families . But we have our limitations with respect to food and medicine . We need the helping hand of other countries in the area . " 
