A HAM medical team arrived in Port au Prince Haiti on March 7, 2010. The team includes Dr. Tracee Laing Karaffa, Dr. Leslie Mihalov, Paul Hammond, and a first time member of the HAM team, Dr. Marlie Dulaurier. Dr. Marlie is Haitian American and a fellow in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The posts below have been sent from the team as their mission progresses.
Sunday, March 14: We left Port au Prince about 1:30 PM on a delayed flight. A busy and productive week behind us, we all look forward to returning home. The work is satisfying and it feels good to be of use in such a devastated place. It is the emotional impact of the post-earthquake environment which is most exhausting. We are all touched by the harrowing stories of life and death we hear daily. All of us will be back to continue helping the people of Haiti rebuild their lives and their country.
|
HAM team at Carolyn's home: Tracee, Paul, Marlie, Leslie and Carolyn |
The HAM team is tremendously grateful to our dear friend Carolyn who has so generously and graciously welcomed us to her beautiful home in Port au Prince during these post- earthquake trips. With the loss of St. Josephs Guest house, and seeing the tent facilities where most visiting medical teams are staying these days, Carolyn's house has felt like an oasis. Last night we were even treated to hot showers and light, as power was finally restored to Carolyn's neighborhood for the first time since the quake.
We shall post photos and stories from this trip on the website in the following days and weeks, so please check back soon!
Saturday, March 13:
|
Preparing to work in the refugee camp at Delmas 33
|
Our last day of work in Haiti took us with our friend Dr. Joey to large refugee camp at Del Mas 33. HAM funds an Elder care program Dr. Joey runs at his free clinic in a poor community. Since the earthquake he's also been treating the residents of this camp who were left with nothing.
|
Dr. Joey examines an elderly patient in the refugee camp
|
In the six hours following the earthquake, Dr. Joey saw 453 trauma patients at his clinic, three of whom died while under his care. He transferred 26 patients with severe crush injuries to the Dominican Republic. Most of these required amputations. His tireless work to help people in need never ceases to humble us.
|
The refugee camp viewed through a tent under construction |
At the camp, we saw at least 70 patients with typical ailments in this post-quake situation. A common complaint found here and in the other camps we've served is itching without any rash. We suspect the source is the dusty environment combined with the lack of a water source for bathing. Haitian's are fastidious about bathing, but the families in these camps simply don't have access to bathing water.
|
Children in the refugee camp at Delmas 33
|
Several young girls at the camp found Dr.Tracee and Dr.Leslie fascinating, particularly their hair. The girls couldn't keep their hands off the foreign locks.
The day was mostly productive, but the truck ended up back in a Haitian garage, a dirt lot filled with the carcasses of many autos in various states of decay. Eventually, the brake and muffler issues were fixed and the truck is again running well for now.
Friday, March 12: The temperature seems to have increased a few degrees each day we have been here. The heat is now stifling both day and night. It is more difficult to sleep. The expected, cooling rain has not arrived, a blessing, actually, since rain would devastate the refugee camps.
We saw over 200 patients in the Dumay clinic today and accomplished a great deal. The doctors tended to a variety of ailments and illnesses. With experience here, we understand the need for a lab to test for things like infectious diseases and anemia. Once we install the solar power system in April, setting up a lab will be our next priority.
|
Dr. Marlie examines a patient at the Dumay clinic
|
We prepared for the solar power system installation by measuring for panel placement and documenting the existing electrical panels and breakers. The volunteer team that will install and configure the system will be staying at the clinic so we worked to prepare guest accommodations in the adjacent bunk house.
Today is our last in Dumay for this trip. We felt sad as we said goodbye to our hard working, dedicated staff but we are inspired by their commitment to delivering care with inadequate resources under difficult circumstances. In our mission statement, we commit ourselves to "fostering the dignity of the
individual, respecting the ways of the community, and reflecting the
strength of a loving God." It is clear that this commitment has made it possible for our staff of Haitian professionals here to provide the care so desperately needed in this area. We are accomplishing our mission here. We look forward to our next trip in April and continued progress toward recovery from the devastating earthquake and eventually returning to the continuity of care necessary to sustain this community.
Thursday, March 11: The team split up again today with doctors Marlie
and Leslie again working at St. Damien Pediatric Hospital.
Father Rick Frechette, the priest, pediatrician, founder and
director of the hospital, spoke to the doctors serving there about progress since the
earthquake and next steps in the recovery. The hospital employs 800 Haitians. Almost all lost their homes in the earthquake and now live in a tent or under a tarpaulin. He p romised that the hospital will support these people
to be sure the employees and their families have shelter, food, and water. He promised that the hospital will do everything possible to help them rebuild their lives. This is
an important reminder that the disaster has affected even those with good jobs in Haiti and that every aspect of their lives will have to be rebuilt.
|
Dr. Marlie riding in the HAM truck
|
Dr. Marlie returned to Urgent Care which was much busier today. The work here has helped her improve her written French skills since all reports and scripts must be written in French. Practice, practice, practice.
Dr. Leslie traveled with a mobile clinic. They saw patients from a refugee camp in a small clinic facility surrounded by buildings that are reduced to rubble. She describes the humbling experience of treating the homeless in the only standing building on the block.
Dr. Tracee's plans to join our Haitian friend, Dr. Joey, treating patients at another refugee camp were thwarted when Dr. Joey had to attend to another medical emergency. She was relegated to resourcing duties with Paul. They made a productive team, acquiring most of the parts needed for a solar electric system to power the Dumay clinic. Installation of this system is planned for late April by a team of skilled volunteers. More about that trip will appear on the HAM web site in the near future.
Tomorrow the entire team will return to the Dumay clinic for a full day with patients. We will be joined by Dr. Kevin Finley, a family practice doctor from Granville who arrived today and will leave tomorrow night for work in a mountain community supported by his church. We are delighted to have Dr. Kevin joining us for the first time in Dumay.
We have accomplished a great deal this week but there is so much more to be done. As Father Rick said, we must do everything in our power to help the amazing people of Haiti create better lives for themselves.
Wednesday, March 10th: After once again filling out papers at the Office of Coordination for the Ministry of Health, we were off to Leogane to visit the Hands On Disaster Response base there. On the way, we toured the center of downtown Port au Prince to see the situation at Cham Mars. Every open space and park in Port au Prince is completely filled with tents. Cham Mars is one sprawling refugee camp. We happened upon a Mardi Gras parade by performers from Cuba entertaining the people and showing support for their Haitian brothers and sisters.
|
Performers from Cuba entertaining in the streets,
downtown Port au Prince |
Medicine Man, street pharmacy in
front of National Palace
|
In front of the collapsed National Palace we saw a typical street pharmacy, a man carrying a large inverted cone filled with over-the-counter medicines. Given the difficulty we're having procuring medicine for the clinic, we wondered if this guy could give us some advice.
|
Ministry of Health Building, Port au Prince
|
Heading to Leogane, we passed the Ministry of Health building, a reminder of how the current government system is (not) functioning.
The road to Leogane was repaved only a few years ago, but now has several large cracks in the pavement. Some of the highest energy shaking from the quake occurred along this road.
Road to Leogane dislocated by earthquake |
Leogane was quite close to the epicenter of the earthquake and 90% of the structures sustained major damage. The Hands On organization has set up a base of operations near the center of town here, and will be working with major government organizations and NGO's to develop 6 acres into what will soon be the center of the housing and rebuilding effort in Leogane. To learn more about Hands On Disaster Response visit their web site, http://hodr.org/.
Our day was complicated by a blown hose cap that sprayed radiator fluid all over the hot engine. Fortunately, Charles had friends in Leogane who helped us find a mechanic and after a few hours of attention, the HAM truck is running again.
It was a long, hot day and we are all a bit burned by the sun, but everyone was happy to escape from the city to see the effects of the quake and the response near the epicenter.
Tuesday, March 9th: The doctors all worked in different areas at St. Damien's Children's Hospital today. Because of her fluent Creole, Dr. Marlie worked in Urgent Care seeing mostly post hospital-stay follow-ups and seriously ill children. Many of the children needed to be admitted. She saw extremely malnourished children, an all too frequent condition in Haiti. She saw one case of chicken pox, the first she had encountered since her own childhood infection.
Dr. Leslie spent the day in the ever busy Emergency Room. The cases there have shifted from traumatic injury to illness. There are many cases of malnutrition in very young children who have lost their mothers, their primary food source, in the quake.
|
Devastated area where Dr. Tracee worked with Land Aid
|
Dr. Tracee went to a small clinic in a particularly devastated area of Port au Prince. She worked with a a fabulous Haitian pharmacist and a German medical NGO called Land Aid which does disaster medical relief all over the world.
|
Dr. Tracee with international team
|
The highlight of her day was attending the Port au Prince Health Cluster meeting. Representatives of the major NGO's meet twice a week for planning and coordination. We trust her attendance will lead to better access to medications for the Dumay clinic, one of our primary challenges.
Paul's day was less exciting, chasing down government forms and dealing with administrative issues. He was able to locate all the equipment necessary for the solar electrical system needed to power the Dumay clinic. This hurdle overcome, plans for a volunteer crew to install the solar system in April can proceed.
All in all, it was a most productive day.
Monday, March 8: We arrived at the Dumay clinic this morning to find things well organized and running smoothly. With limited resources, Dr. Jacques and Wilberne, the clinic medical director and administrator, have done a terrific job with the staff to create an efficient and effective operation. They have rented a generator to test and complete the electrical and plumbing distribution systems. Now we can focus on installing solar power electrical generation and battery storage systems in the coming months. It is very exciting to see the clinic progressing so nicely.
|
HAM in search of medication supply |
After we finished seeing patients, we headed for Promess in Port au Prince to order additional medication. Unfortunately, the rules and process have changed since we were here last month, so it's off to the Ministry of Health tomorrow to fill out the new paperwork.
Destruction at St. Joseph's Home for Boys
| On the way home we stopped at St. Joseph's Home for Boys, the guest house and our home in Port au Prince before the earthquake. St Joseph's was destroyed in the quake. While none of the staff or boys who lived there died, one guest, Ben
Larson, a senior at Wartburg Theological Seminary
in Dubuque, was killed.
Today is the first time any of us have visited the site since the tragedy, and it is a sad and emotional experience. The destruction is significant. Seeing the damage to the halls and rooms where we met so many dedicated workers is sobering. We take some comfort in hearing that St Joseph's will be rebuilt and will once again provide a loving home for street boys in Port au Prince and visiting volunteers like us.
|
Tracee, Paul and Leslie at entrance to St Joseph's |
Sunday, March 7: Our team of four landed in Port au Prince on a commercial flight. Commercial service to PAP began again at the end of February. We didn't know what to expect as the airport terminal was unusable just a few weeks ago. What a surprise when we exited the jet via the brand new jet way which had been sitting unused on the tarmac for more than two years! It turned out to be a facade as we never actually entered the structurally damaged terminal. Quickly we exited the facade and were loaded onto buses that took us to a warehouse at the far end of the runway. The warehouse is being used for immigration, baggage claim and customs.
It's hard to believe the chaos of the Port au Prince airport we've experienced in the past could be surpassed. Today it was. The warehouse was packed with arriving aid volunteers, all of whom brought the maximum luggage allowance, just like we did. It was a free-for-all hunting for bags that had been flung into piles. In the center of this fray of frantic foreigners was an older Haitian woman sitting quietly on a lone chair. She appeared to be waiting, for what, exactly, we could only speculate.
Exiting the warehouse was akin to running a gauntlet; red caps fighting to take the bags, locals waiting to pick up friends, security, street people, new arrivals, all fighting for a sliver of space between the warehouse and the busy two lane street just a few feet away. Fortunately, Charles was there waiting and we successfully dodged traffic as we loaded the truck with our bags and bodies. We are back in Haiti, ready to work.
|
|
March 2010 Mission
