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H A I T I
Rescue, Recover, Rebuild
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One Year Later...
EMEDEX reflects
today on the year that has past since the earthquake of January 12, 2010.
Hundreds of thousands of Haitians suffered in the immediate aftermath of the
disaster, and the effects continued for all the months following, up until even
today. We acknowledge the incredible resilience of the Haitian people, which
inspires us to also keep moving forward in our mission. We have a duty to
remember that change is still needed in Haiti, and only through ongoing
commitment and partnership can it be achieved.
Over the last year, EMEDEX’s Rescue, Recover, Rebuild initiative sent four
successful teams to Haiti. We provided emergency care to patients in Port au
Prince soon after the earthquake. We worked alongside local Haitian partners in
the Northeast to supplement primary and emergency clinical care in Terrier
Rouge. EMEDEX completed a needs assessment of the Northeast regional healthcare
resources and served as a link between facilities that had previously not been
aware of one another. Our assessment highlighted a need for prehospital and
emergency systems development. Community members expressed a desire for disaster
preparedness planning and healthcare professionals felt they would benefit from
emergency skills training. To address these concerns, EMEDEX conducted a course
in first aid and basic life support skills for both community members and
healthcare professionals, training local instructors and increasing the
potential capacity for local response to future emergencies. ing local instructors and increasing the
potential capacity for local response to future emergencies.
EMEDEX could not have achieved its successes of 2010 without the generous
contributions of its supporters. We thank each and every one of you for making
it possible to honor our commitment to building sustainable change in emergency
medical care in Haiti and other countries around the world. We ask for your
continued support toward ongoing rebuilding, training and in keeping our vision
alive.
Project Update
The August 2010 trip kicked off the Rebuilding Phase of the Rescue, Recover,
Rebuild Haiti initiative. Our visit was short, but the accomplishments were
many. We trained 100 people in CPR and first aid over the course of 3 days. The
course was interactive and hands-on, including practice sessions with mock case
scenarios to put the skills into a tangible, realistic context. Participants
included healthcare professionals - nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists,
community public health workers, doctors – and laypeople – teachers, students,
other clinic and school staff, chauffeurs and “tap tap” drivers. From this
audience, 10 people were selected to become instructors under our
train-the-trainers model, so that teaching may continue in our absence,
multiplying the effect of our work and ensuring sustainability.
The trip was incredibly rewarding. Participants expressed their sense of
empowerment in being called to take on responsibility for the health of their
communities and fellow citizens, now with an initial set of tools to allow them
to make a difference. Several people stated they felt “every Haitian” should
have this opportunity and requested that we return to offer the course again.
Several of the instructors already began to plan their own courses and one even
conducted a first aid class in his community the day after our team departed.
EMEDEX plans to continue building on this foundation of training and working
toward expanding its reach to more and more communities. Future sessions will
continue to focus on prehospital training, as well as public health prevention
initiatives and disaster preparedness planning at the individual, family, and
community levels. We count on your continued support!
Follow EMEDEX publications about Haiti here
Background
The 2010
earthquake in Haiti has imposed a tremendous burden on an already
resource-limited, impoverished country. Haiti has a long-standing history of
natural disasters, further exacerbating the food crisis, overcrowded living
situations, and struggling economic situation. Basic needs such as adequate
nutrition, clean water and sanitation, education, health, and protection from
violence are a daily struggle for this country's citizens. With a devastating
112,000 deaths, 196,000 people injured, and another 700,000 living in shelters,
action by the international community is imperative.
EMEDEX International has created the "Rescue, Recover, Rebuild" initiative, a comprehensive plan to help with both the immediate and long-term
health needs of the people of Haiti. This year-long initiative will set the
foundation for a continued partnership over years to come. Project leaders are
trained experts in disaster management and emergency medicine who are accustomed
to serving at the frontline of the healthcare system.
In this phase of the project, teams of emergency healthcare providers will be
deployed, in partnership with larger humanitarian relief organizations, to
assist with direct patient care needs.
During the post-disaster Recovery phase of the project, the group will continue to provide and model patient care
at Haitian healthcare facilities, where project leaders have strong
pre-established partnerships. Training programs in basic and advanced life
support skills, ultrasound, and emergency medical management will begin during
this phase, aimed at building local expertise amongst professionals in this
region.
Finally, the long-term Rebuilding phase will continue sending teams to provide and model patient care, to conduct and establish sustainable training courses in emergency medical skills and disaster management and preparedness, and to help develop inter-facility communication and referral systems.
Team Member Reflections
Team #1
We gave of ourselves to those whom were grateful beyond measure. So that our giving was far from altruistic. We actually gained from the gratitude of the thousands we served, shared with and alleviated of suffering if only for a moment. We are extremely humbled that we had the opportunity to serve a people who were in such dire straits. We were stunned by the strength and the dignity that our patients maintained despite the destruction. We we blessed that our institution valued our drive to serve in their time of need. Come and find a fuller sense of your humanity. come and work internationally.
- Emily Nichols, MD and Jonel Daphnis, MD MPH
Team #2
For just one week, as part of the EMEDEX team, I served the village of Terrier Rouge in the North East section of Haiti. With limited resources, we saw and treated patients with malnutrition, dysentery, malaria, dyspepsia, STIs and minor trauma at Clinique Esperance. Although I recognize the importance of providing medical care in the clinic, it’s the fulfillment of the moral and ethical commitments that we’ve made to this community that will last lifetimes. We made commitments to not only provide medical staff to enable the clinic to treat more patients, but also to help educate the staff through continuing education in burgeoning fields like ultrasound. Some of our patients had been displaced by the earthquake and had relocated to Terrier Rouge. We discussed their interest in developing a disaster plan for their future safety. We conducted a public health needs assessment and researched potential tertiary care facilities, should one of the nearby school children need an emergency appendectomy, for example. But above all else, our weeklong presence in Terrier Rouge was a renewal of our long-term commitments to the village and children of the neighboring elementary school. It was an opportunity and a privilege to renew their faith in the global community’s role in their pursuit of health, safety, and wellness.
- Enesha Cobb, MD MTS
Team #3
“Yes! I got the time off!” was what I was thinking when I found out that I’d be able to go Haiti. A mixture of anxiety and excitement overcame me and I started making a list of things to do. A few weeks later, I’m on the plane heading to Port-au-Prince, about to land, listening to the instructions in both English and Creole, nervous energy running through me. We land, quickly gather our luggage, and transition to our flight to Cap Haitien. We land again, and I’m struck first by the heat, and then the sites. Dry landscapes, rocky roads lined by street-side shops, ranging from cold soda to pay-per-use phones and even gasoline. We drive though to our destination Terrier-Rouge, and the scenery is slowly changing, with less people, worsening terrain, and more widespread shops. When we arrive, we are gratiously welcomed by our hosts, Pere and Mere Bruno. Quickly, our luggage is transferred to our rooms and our bellies were fed. Over the next week, we split up and worked in different local clinics and hospitals. In addition to seeing patients, we did a needs-assessment of the communities, speaking with the other doctors and medical personnel we were working with. Lucky for us, we were able to see a variety of pathology in both kids and adults. We also got the opportunity to speak with other humanitarian workers and their experiences. Everyone was very hospitable and welcomed us with open arms. The patients were patient with our language skills and appreciative of even the littlest things.
This trip really helped us solidify our connections and the information we need to start our projects for the region. Currently, we’re working on setting up a medical conference for the local medical personnel to attend next year. Through the conference, we want to teach easy, practical skills that the local practitioners can apply to their daily practices. We also plan to set up educational initiatives that local community leaders can implement. Lastly, one of the local hospitals is in the process of starting their own pre-hospital system, and we will be teaching them basic skills such as BLS, local wound care and control, and disaster management. As we continue our efforts, we look forward to returning to our friends and the community.
- Brijal Patel, MD
© 2007-2010 EMEDEX International, all rights reserved.
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