Haiti Healthcare Partners

It has been nearly four years since HHP opened the Jean Wilfrid Albert clinic as a U.S.-based 501c3 charity in the mountains of Cherident, Haiti.  During this time the facility's staffing and patient load has steadily increased to the point where now approximately 4,000 patients are treated annually.  So, when the January 12 earthquake struck, we were anxious to visit our all Haitian clinic staff as soon as possible.

However, logistical problems caused by the quake delayed our arrival until April when four HHP team members arrived, carrying our own food, shelter and water.  During the five day trip the team was able to: assess the damages and related community medical needs in and around Cherident; talk with community leaders; meet with our Haitian administrative team (OCDES); and, through discussions with the clinic staff, prioritize near-term improvements for our primary care facility.

Earthquake's Impact on Cherident

The earthquake destroyed (or rendered inhabitable) all of the village's principal buildings, except for our one-story clinic.  In the temblor's aftermath it is estimated that the local population has grown by approximately 40% as urban dwellers in Leogane and Port au Prince relocated to the area to live with relatives or be closer to the crops grown in this rural setting.

While there were no known fatalities in Cherident, there were deaths in other villages in the surrounding area of Grand Colline.  Furthermore, the earthquake caused massive changes in the lives of all Haitians in this area (approximately 20 miles from the Earthquake's epicenter) due to the: destruction of the local clean water source, landslides along the main road to the highway (preventing transportation of food and supplies), the shuttering of the government-run medical facility in nearby Mayer and the closing of all schools and nearby banks.  In spite of well-publicized, fund-raising events and the resulting outpouring of international aid, it was evident that little or none of those funds have made it to Grande Colline.   Fortunately, OCDES and our partner charities were able to make some valuable near-term contributions, including:

• Living Waters rebuilt and re-located the village's clean water system to our clinic;
• Plant With A Purpose organized a work crew from their farmers' cooperatives to restore the main road's functionality;
• The Haiti Education Foundation made two trips to provide emergency cash for both clinic medications and local area schools.

Clinic Staff and Operations

Immediately following the quake there was an increase in wound care and respiratory-related diseases.  There also has been a relative increase in the number of pregnant and young mothers with children seeking aid.  Nearly all of these patients (some of whom used to frequent the clinic in Mayer) are seeking prenatal care, antibiotics for infant diarrhea, inoculations for childhood diseases, and/or nutritional programs for undernourishment.

The clinic's physician, Dr. Catolin, told us that he is not currently equipped to meet all of these needs and has had to turn away patients who require regular monitoring or longer-term recuperation.  Through conversations with him and his staff, we agreed on a near-term priority list of items to enhance the scope and resources of the clinic.  In order of importance, these items include:

• Increase in pharmaceutical supplies and the peanut-butter based nutritional supplement, medika mamba;
• Generator for electricity to refrigerate new medications;
• Satellite-based computer for ordering supplies and maintaining communications in and out of the country;
• Plumbing to enable overnight and longer-term patient care;
• Three patient beds;
• Laboratory and basic medical testing equipment and supplies;
• Motorcycle to ensure more reliable transportation to pick up supplies in Port au Prince; and,
• Training and staff expansion for community health workers to provide outreach to nearby, but remote villages and schools.

HHP has started a capital campaign to raise $30,000 to meet the first five items as quickly as possible.  We are also exploring with some U.S. doctors donations of laboratory and testing equipment. 

The need is great and continuous; restoring and maintaining the health of our rural Haitian friends in the aftermath of the earthquake will require even greater efforts beyond those of the initial listed priorities.  We hope that we can find additional donors and partners who are willing to help us in these efforts.