Hi,
I just returned from Haiti with a group called "One Mission Society". I am an RN from Indianapolis, IN. Most of what we did was humanitarian medical work. Actually we had a medical clinic in Port-au-Prince and most of the trauma or "middle of the fire" was being flown out of that area. With that said, most of the immediate trauma has been taken care of already. We saw a lot of scabies, ringworm, intestinal worms, fungal infections, dressing changes, suture removal, respiratory infections and post traumatic stress disorder. The complaints that we saw most often were lack of appetite, headaches, anemia, body aches, "pimples" (a term Haitians use for all kinds of skin conditions), itching, coughing, stuffy noses, and burns secondary to cooking with open fires, both direct flames and water boiling over.
I would suggest a lot of meds for treatment of these conditions along with plenty of iron and multivitamins. Also, a physical therapist would be a needed addition to a team. A lot of fracture repairs by have been done by surgeons with little training and poor follow-up. Also education is needed on the difference between clean and dirty water.
It was my first time to Haiti. I have been to Indonesia and West Africa before. I was so amazed at the spirit and kindness that the Haitians shown towards us. I learned from the Haitians what Paul meant when he recommended being happy and praising God despite your circumstances . I saw a fun loving, gracious people.
Many volunteers seemed to have GI issues so plan for it and if you don't experience it be happy.
Grace and Peace,
David