Part of our Haiti relief Team has been working near the border with the Dominican Republic at a place called Love the Child. Love the Child is an orphanage that has graciously opened its doors to become a kind of field clinic for people who were injured in the earthquake. There are 130 patients here plus all of their family members.
The clinic is focused mostly on post-operative care, which is a gap in this emergency. Back in Port-Au-Prince, one of the greatest concerns is with follow-up care. There are so many people in need of urgent care and surgeries, that quickly developing a plan for follow-up care has been difficult for organizations providing medical care. As a result, people who've had amputations or other surgeries develop infections and go through trauma all over again.
This clinic has been able to ensure that people are recovering fully.
The care at this compound is very good. And the conditions are good. But it is still a very sad situation. Today, a young girl arrived by ambulance from a different hospital - so that she could receive good after-care here. She had what looked like a broken wrist and her foot had been amputated.
We were discussing the other night how long it will take for Haitians to get over the trauma the country has experienced. As with this little girl, signs of the earthquake will remain for an entire generation.
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ReplyDeleteI am hoping to arrive in Haiti by myself this weekend and I would appreciate your advice on where I can go to help. I am a MA and I have worked in Africa with a small non-profit for 4 years. I know I may sound crazy but I don't believe in watching. Do more than just watch. So having said that, I am going no matter what and since you are there can you point me in the right direction? I will have the money to support myself. Jacralph@gmail.com
be safe and thank you for what you do.
Jaclyn