Dr. Grace Newsome and Nora Ziemba, a graduate student, made a trip to Haiti April 4-12, 2008. A third world country with a median income of $85 per month, Haiti is an unbelievable experience. While the trip served to meet the requirements of a graduate course on culture it also provided an opportunity to help meet the healthcare needs of the deeply impoverished Haitian people.

 

During the trip a team of four nurse practitioners, two registered nurses and three high school students made daily excursions to outlying villages to conduct clinics. The team leader, Dr. Twilla Haynes, an FNP, makes this trip every three months to provide primary healthcare and chronic disease management to the residents of the villages. Each day a trip of 1 to 1 and 1 ½ hours in the back of a “tap-tap” over roads with continuous pot holes and dust and smoke was made to arrive at the clinic site. Approximately 150 persons were treated. Conditions included hypertension, diabetes, parasitic infections, malaria, scabies, and AIDs related infections. Ears were “wicked” and children lathered in lindane for scabies. The dirty water, garbage heaps and loathful sanitation practices continue the unending health problems. Anemia and starvation were common place. Two cups of beans and two cups of rice were provided on some days to the elderly and breast feeding mothers. A common reply when patients were told to take their medication with food was, “but I have nothing to eat”.

By Grace Newsome

An outdoor clinic (this is at the new orphanage site but typical of what we did.

On the last clinic day the team rode a water taxi to a village without roadways and worked with two Cuban physicians. Although sent by Castro they were given no equipment and no medications. They were delighted to be able to work with us as we had adequate medications and supplies to actually treat the patients. At the end of the day I gave my stethoscope and blood pressure cuff to one of the doctors who had borrowed one of ours. She teared up and stated she had never received such a wonderful gift.

 

The orphanage had 47 children contained in a four bedroom home in Cape Haitian. These children are blessed because they receive three meals a day and regular health care. They also are provided schooling. Ms. Cheron Hardy, an FNP and CNM, manages and provides healthcare for the orphanage through Eternal Hope for Haiti. Cheron, a 2003 graduate of Emory University, made visits with Twilla and found her calling was to return and serve the haitian people.  

Above: Cape Haitian

Pharmacy for clinic with one of our high schoolers filling RX. 

A typical rural hut where folks live.

Market