Northern Haiti Medical Trip November 6-16, 2008
Chuck and I have just returned from a challenging medical volunteer experience, leading a team of 12 doctors, nurses and support staff to work in several communities in rural northern Haiti. My trip began at a two day meeting of the International Board of International Child Care at a site just outside of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince (PAP). These meetings bring together members of the four boards that provide vision for ICC and include citizens from the US, Canada, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Many have asked about what our involvement was in the tragic collapse of a school in PAP. Although we were near the city, after investigating how we might help with rescue efforts, it was decided that there was adequate emergency personnel on site and our best efforts would be in having GCH and ICC provide medical support and, if needed, financial assistance for children affected by the disaster. Minutes after word of the tragedy reached us, we stopped the meeting and had a group prayer. All of us were extremely sad and felt distracted from our agenda.
Upon completion of the board meeting, our group of medical professionals met at the airport in Cap Haitian, the second largest city in Haiti where there is an ICC office that oversees ICC’s programs in northern Haiti. The group included 5 physicians, 3 nurses and 4 support team members who had traveled from Texas, Ohio and California. Our home base was an hour outside of Cap Haitian, in the small community of Grande Riviere du Nord (GRN), near a river which flows through the surrounding hills. We were given a simple house, donated for the week by a local family. We had running cold water (most of the time) and electricity part of the evening, provided by a generator. Meals were prepared by local cooks and consisted of typical Haitian cuisine. We also had very competent translators as few of us spoke French or Haitian Creole.
The house was walking distance from the small hospital and we were able to set tents up in the yard where we provided clinics over about 3 days. We also worked in the smaller communities of Jolie Trou, Bas Limbe and Port Margot which were 1-2 hours drive away over rough and rutted dirt roads. Along with us always went our large pharmacy which included thousands of vitamins and children’s pain medications donated by the NE Dallas District of the UMW and antibiotics and antiparasitics, purchased with monies donated by Waples UMC members.
Although most of our physicians were pediatricians, we saw many adults, especially the elderly. Many had walked several hours to be seen and most waited long hours in the hot Haiti sun. Illnesses were typical with GI complaints, skin diseases and respiratory infections and malnutrition in the children. Adults complained with many aches and pains, skin diseases, cataracts, hearing loss, malignancies, trauma and a lot of hypertension. Several cases of malaria were identified and at least one new case of pediatric HIV infection. We saw well over 1000 men, women and children during the week and were able to donate our leftover medications to the Grande Riviere du Nord Hospital where they would be used for patients who could not pay the small fees for pharmaceuticals. Upon return to Cap Haitian, we were also able to deliver a donated automated defibrillator to the government hospital there.
Our last day in Haiti was back in PAP where we toured Grace Children’s Hospital as well as the pediatric unit of HUEH which is the large Haitian government hospital. We were able to have lunch with several Haitian pediatricians from the large government medical school to discuss plans for some collaborative efforts in medical education. Two of our pediatric medical team members, one from Stanford and one from UT Southwestern and CMC-Dallas, are on committees starting global health programs at their institutions and we have a long-range plan to connect Stanford and UT Southwestern with the pediatric community in Haiti.
Chuck and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Waples UMC as well as the generous women of the UMW for their financial and spiritual support of this trip. We look forward to sending you more information on the future developments in this pilot program to send medical teams to ICC supported rural communities in Haiti. Our goal is to involve the UMC’s GBGM’s Volunteers in Mission program to give these communities more support and to make this a sustainable project that empowers and builds the local healthcare communities and professionals. Thank you again for your support.
Jeannine Hatt
Chuck and I have just returned from a challenging medical volunteer experience, leading a team of 12 doctors, nurses and support staff to work in several communities in rural northern Haiti. My trip began at a two day meeting of the International Board of International Child Care at a site just outside of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince (PAP). These meetings bring together members of the four boards that provide vision for ICC and include citizens from the US, Canada, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Many have asked about what our involvement was in the tragic collapse of a school in PAP. Although we were near the city, after investigating how we might help with rescue efforts, it was decided that there was adequate emergency personnel on site and our best efforts would be in having GCH and ICC provide medical support and, if needed, financial assistance for children affected by the disaster. Minutes after word of the tragedy reached us, we stopped the meeting and had a group prayer. All of us were extremely sad and felt distracted from our agenda.
Upon completion of the board meeting, our group of medical professionals met at the airport in Cap Haitian, the second largest city in Haiti where there is an ICC office that oversees ICC’s programs in northern Haiti. The group included 5 physicians, 3 nurses and 4 support team members who had traveled from Texas, Ohio and California. Our home base was an hour outside of Cap Haitian, in the small community of Grande Riviere du Nord (GRN), near a river which flows through the surrounding hills. We were given a simple house, donated for the week by a local family. We had running cold water (most of the time) and electricity part of the evening, provided by a generator. Meals were prepared by local cooks and consisted of typical Haitian cuisine. We also had very competent translators as few of us spoke French or Haitian Creole.
The house was walking distance from the small hospital and we were able to set tents up in the yard where we provided clinics over about 3 days. We also worked in the smaller communities of Jolie Trou, Bas Limbe and Port Margot which were 1-2 hours drive away over rough and rutted dirt roads. Along with us always went our large pharmacy which included thousands of vitamins and children’s pain medications donated by the NE Dallas District of the UMW and antibiotics and antiparasitics, purchased with monies donated by Waples UMC members.
Although most of our physicians were pediatricians, we saw many adults, especially the elderly. Many had walked several hours to be seen and most waited long hours in the hot Haiti sun. Illnesses were typical with GI complaints, skin diseases and respiratory infections and malnutrition in the children. Adults complained with many aches and pains, skin diseases, cataracts, hearing loss, malignancies, trauma and a lot of hypertension. Several cases of malaria were identified and at least one new case of pediatric HIV infection. We saw well over 1000 men, women and children during the week and were able to donate our leftover medications to the Grande Riviere du Nord Hospital where they would be used for patients who could not pay the small fees for pharmaceuticals. Upon return to Cap Haitian, we were also able to deliver a donated automated defibrillator to the government hospital there.
Our last day in Haiti was back in PAP where we toured Grace Children’s Hospital as well as the pediatric unit of HUEH which is the large Haitian government hospital. We were able to have lunch with several Haitian pediatricians from the large government medical school to discuss plans for some collaborative efforts in medical education. Two of our pediatric medical team members, one from Stanford and one from UT Southwestern and CMC-Dallas, are on committees starting global health programs at their institutions and we have a long-range plan to connect Stanford and UT Southwestern with the pediatric community in Haiti.
Chuck and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Waples UMC as well as the generous women of the UMW for their financial and spiritual support of this trip. We look forward to sending you more information on the future developments in this pilot program to send medical teams to ICC supported rural communities in Haiti. Our goal is to involve the UMC’s GBGM’s Volunteers in Mission program to give these communities more support and to make this a sustainable project that empowers and builds the local healthcare communities and professionals. Thank you again for your support.
Jeannine Hatt