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HAM conducts
about four medical missions to Haiti per year. Each time, a team
of professionals--physicians, nurses, and others--travels to Haiti to
work in the Dumay medical clinic and to
spend some time in Demier. At times, the security situation has
forced us to cancel trips. Typically, we see around 1,000 patients
during one week. We are able to treat many more patients than the
permanent medical staff can handle, and we bring medication and
equipment to address some conditions they cannot.
June 2007 Trip
I arrived at
St. Joseph's Saturday evening to find Vanessa Carpenter of Angel
Missions Haiti there. St. Joe’s always has interesting people and great
food. I helped Vanessa evaluate some ill children she plans to bring to
the USA for surgery. Berny, a child she already brought to the USA
twice for cleft palate surgery returned with a new complaint. His legs
were suddenly paralyzed 2 days earlier. He had seen a local Dr. who
ordered x-ray and blood work which were normal. By the time I saw him,
he was beginning to lose function of his hands, and I diagnosed him with
Ascending Paralysis. The next day, his arms were losing function. He had
at least a 50% chance of the paralysis ascending to the nerves
controlling his muscles of breathing. Later that week, Vanessa began
working on getting Berny a Visa to return again to the USA. There was
not enough time to get the required hospital letter offering free care,
so she was very uncertain she would get it. I talked to Father Rick
Frechette, who arranged for us to take Berny to the DR if we could not
get the US Visa, but that would require a parent, a Spanish speaking
interpreter, and paying for care (~$5,000-$7,000). In the end, the US
Embassy granted Berny’s Visa and he arrived in the USA on Thursday.
Last I heard he was in a Pediatric ICU where care has been offered free
of charge.
Following
Nathan’s kidnapping, I have been working with Hurah, AUMOUD, and Mr.
Evel Fanfan to improve security in Campeche Dumay. With the detailed
information in Nathan’s report of his ordeal and those involved, AUMOUD
was able to meet directly with Mario Andresol, the National Chief of
Police in Haiti. As a result, the previous Croix-des-Bouquet police
chief has been replaced, and many of the kidnappers have been captured
or killed. I was told the last gang leader involved in the kidnapping
got greedy and shot and killed fellow gang members to keep all the money
for himself. He is now running from both the hoodlums and the police. I
don’t know if this is true or not, but if it is, he won’t live long.
Monday I met with Mr. Evel Fanfan and the Croix-des-Bouquets Police
Chief. The chief said that he is “personally responsible for keeping us
safe while working in Dumay”; therefore, “until otherwise notified we
are not to go to Dumay without police escort.” We were assigned 4 CDB
police on motorcycles to escort us to and from the clinic and to stay in
Dumay while we worked there. Our only obligation is to buy the gas for
the motorcycles and to give the police a free medical exam. We were
also told that Mario Andresol is considering putting a permanent police
station in Dumay. Working in the clinic was really very calm and
organized. worked with a Dr. Ricot, Dr. Romain, and Dr. Jean Louis,
and was able to evaluate most of the HIV patients who are all doing
well. I did not get patient numbers from Wilguere, but we cared for
somewhere between 200 and 300 medical patients. Charles saw optometry
patients. I met with the community health workers and the rest of the
staff to consider grievances (the usual low wage, and administrative
complaints) and ways to improve the clinic. We do need to consider wage
Jean Louis,
and was able to evaluate most of the HIV patients who are all doing
well. I did not get patient numbers from Wilguere, but we cared for
somewhere between 200 and 300 medical patients. Charles saw optometry
patients. I met with the community health workers and the rest of the
staff to consider grievances (the usual low wage, and administrative
complaints) and ways to improve the clinic. We do need to consider wage
adjustments. They have had small raises, but many have had no major pay
increase over the 7 years the clinic has been open. The general-
medicine doctors in particular are in need of a raise. Another major
concern is over crowding in the clinic building due to lack of storage
space for the pharmacy and lab, and lack of adequate space to work in
both areas. Our solution for space is to consider building a pharmacy
with storage outside the clinic. That would allow the lab to expand to
the current pharmacy, and would move the patients waiting for their
prescriptions to be filled out of the patient care area. Due to the
current security situation, the Dumay bunk house construction is on
hold, so the Dumay Clinic staff and I thought we should concentrate
construction efforts on a small pharmacy with storage behind the clinic
building.
On Tuesday, we
saw pt's @ the Sister’s of Charity Hospital and Hospice in Delmas. We
cared for many young men with end-stage AIDS, a young man with heart
disease, several children with infectious diseases…the sister’s do a
wonderful job caring for the sick with very limited resources. On
Wednesday, we were again able to work in Wharf Jeremie and Cite Soliel
with the team from Our Little Brother’s and Sister’s pediatric hospital
in Tabarre. The hospital outreach team, led by Father Rick Frechette,
sets up outreach clinics in the slums each Wednesday. While in City
Soliel there was short burst of gun fire. We were told it was a firing
range (which seemed unlikely), but we continued to evaluate and treat
the people patiently waiting to see us.
Thursday, our
second day working in the Bethel Clinic, we once again had police
escort. Again, the clinic went smoothly. After clinic, we met with Mr.
Evel Fanfan of AUMOHD, and the Croix-des-Bouquets Community Human Rights
group, who arranged our security in Dumay with Mario Andresol. They
wanted to tell me more about their work and their needs: an office,
computer, money… Also invited to attend the meeting, was a man who's
entire family was executed (except one 8 y/o boy who was shot in the
chest and the bullet exited through his spine - he's paralyzed). He
threw a pile of pictures in front of me. They were of the execution
scene. Picture after picture of contorted blood soaked bodies. I felt
sick. I was told the man is a former Lavalas leader and the
executioners are ex-army. I pledged to help the Croix-des-Bouquets group
get office space and to get a wheelchair and medications for the
paralyzed boy.
I planned to
go to Jacmel, alone, to spend a couple of days at the beach before
returning home. I was a little worried about coming to Jacmel alone,
but it seems I am always well cared for in Haiti. Michael, from St.
Joseph's, planned to bring a group to Petionville to visit Trinity
House, a “sister” home to St. Joseph’s in Jacmel. They had reservations
to stay in my hotel and fly on my flight home. While in Jacmel, I was
able to evaluate all the boys at Trinity. Most were extremely healthy
(not understanding why I was asking if they had any problems or
complaints), but some had problems I could help them with, and I was
able to leave a supply of medications with the staff. I paid a scooter
taxi man to take me to “a good beach.” We drove about ½ hour to the
beach, and he dropped me off with a rendezvous time later that
afternoon. It was a great choice, with tables set up where you can have
a freshly caught fish cooked to order on a charcoal fire, and children
playing soccer in the sand.
The flight
home was a long series of missed and delayed flights that caused me to
miss an entire night’s sleep and a ½ day of scheduled patients in the
Granville office, but that’s a part of the story best forgotten.
-- Tracee
tracee@healingartmissions.org |
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