A Big Update!

A lot happened in the last five weeks. I will be splitting it up into several sections to make it more manageable.

New Espwa Medical Center Design

After being approved by the Espwa Medical Director, reviewed by the Espwa’s founder, director and several visiting doctors, including the founding director of non-profit Medical Missions of South Haiti, the medical center that I designed for Espwa and all neighboring villages, is on its way to Washington DC where a group of volunteer architects will convert my ideas into a working 3D model and computer animated design. This recent advancement is due to the kindness and generosity of Donald Stevens, founder of Reach For Children. The funding for the medical center is roughly estimated to be in the range of $250,000. A woman by the name of Susan Midgett has committed herself to raising the $100,000 needed to begin immediate construction of the medical center. You can read more about her efforts and fundraising on her blog sosforhaiti.blogspot.com She’ll be participating in the Shark Swim off the coast of San Francisco to Alcatraz!

Public Health Office Plan Drafted

With only two and a half months left in Haiti, the pressure to ensure the sustainability of the 14 public health programs and the public health department that I’ve initiated is greater than ever. After speaking with Fr. Marc, the founder of Espwa and Peter Faford, the projects manager, the plan to build a public health office on the property has been approved. This office space will only be temporary until the new medical center is constructed but will nonetheless add a sense of professionalism to the public health department by giving the assistant public health officer, four public health workers and eleven public health students a common space to work, research, educate and execute public health presentations. This is a big step forward. After donating my computer and printer, I will still need to fundraise for a desk, chairs, book shelf and filing cabinet. If you can help with any of these please let me know.

New Food Depot Finished

After receiving a large grant from USAID/CRS (Catholic Relief Services), a 60’x60’ food depot has just been built to house all of the food used at Espwa (3,000 meals/day) along with food donated by CRS for 800 families in neighboring villages to be distributed monthly. Due to the importance of ensuring proper storage and upkeep, the public health team has taken on the responsibility of performing bimonthly inspections of the building which will include everything from hygiene, sanitation, safety, maintenance and pest/insect control.

Medical Dictionaries For Sale

Not really. They’re actually free. But donations are always welcomed! With the help of several Creole/English dictionaries, I’ve put together a 5-page, 400 word medical dictionary and phrase book for English-speaking and non- Creole speaking doctors and medical staff that visit. The book holds hundreds of vocabulary words and need-to-know phrases when working in a clinic environment. The book is broken up into several sections including, Emergencies, First Aid, The Body, Personal Hygiene, Symptoms and Injuries, Common Illnesses, Medical Conditions and Serious Illnesses, General Health Care, Medical Clinic, Dental Clinic, Hospital Staff/Equipment/Materials, Feelings and Emotions and Age and Physical Descriptions. It can be used by both people trying to learn Haitian Creole and those trying to learn English. I’ve also put together another 5-page, 800 word quick reference dictionary and phrasebook for beginning Creole/English. It covers Basic Expressions, Conversation, Personal Information, Nationality, Occupation, and Food and Drink. Seeing as how the most asked for thing besides for a soccer ball is a dictionary, I’m going to make a few hundred copies of this abridged version and give them out at the schools for anyone interested.

Toothbrush/Toothpaste/Floss Distribution

Last week marked our second mass distribution of toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss for all 520 children/monitors at Vilaj Espwa. Along with each distribution (every 3 months) comes a refresher course on how to properly brush your teeth. Seeing as how toothpaste is usually our limiting factor, the public health team emphasized the importance of brushing even if you don’t have any paste. They teach about plaque buildup and the importance of our fluoride treatments. The limited floss that we have is distributed only to the teenagers and young adults along with a demonstration on how to use it properly. Thanks to Medical Missions of South Haiti, we have received enough supplies for a third distribution in May.

Interested Pre-Medical/Medical Students/General Volunteers

Over the last few weeks, I have received several emails regarding students interested in coming to Haiti to volunteer, primarily in the medical field. If your interest is strong and you can dedicate a minimum of 3 months to living here and working, I urge you to contact me regarding a position working within the public health department here at Espwa. With 14 programs running, there is a constant need for man/woman power to ensure sustainability. If you are unable to dedicate a full three months, we may be able to find another way for you to help! On the same note, if your skills are in grant writing, intervention proposal writing, fundraising and or public speaking and you would like to help support the public health work happening here, you will be greeted with MUCH excitement and gratitude! Just shoot me an email at willinhaiti@gmail.com

March Medical Mission Group

Comprised of Dr. and Mrs. Blood, Jay Prosner-jack of all trades, and 10 engineering and media students from Valparaiso University, the group of 13, constructed playground equipment and installed it in the South Village where the younger children live, installed float valves in all of the water tanks, and completed several plumbing and electrical jobs, sponsored an activity for the kids on most nights, including making jump ropes, popsicle stick buildings and towers, making silly putty out of water and corn starch, and distributing yo-yos, played soccer and basketball with the kids. Dr. Blood and his Haitian student doctors Vladimyr, Merline, Francise, and Jacob, along with myself, saw patients at Espwa, Charlette, and Cotes de Fer. We saw a wide range of conditions, including thyroid goiters, testicular cancer, breast cancer, Parkinson's disease, new cases of HIV, leprosy, cerebral palsy, malaria, fungal infections, parasitic infections, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, nephrotic syndrome, third degree burns on the buttocks from a mosquito netting fire, and more everyday problems such as diabetes, hypertension, respiratory infections, and lacerations. We performed several minor surgeries, including lipomas (fatty tumors), cysts, biopsies, and injection of keloid scars with cortisone. Jay Prosser held a food distribution at Charlette. Each family received enough food for a month, including rice, beans, oil, corn flour, and other items. While at Charlette, the Sante Piblik (Public Health) team from Espwa instructed each patient in proper toothbrushing technique, distributed toothbrushes and toothpaste (Colgate in Creole), and did fluoride rinse treatments. The Valparaiso students measured patient's feet and distributed shoes and sandals. (summary courtesy of Dr. Blood)

2nd Public Health Class Nearing Graduation

After nearly 2 ½ months of lectures, presentations, exams, papers and forcing themselves to endure an extra 1 ½ hours of class 5 days/week on top of their regular school work, the second generation of public health workers are just a few weeks shy of graduating. Upon graduation, each is awarded with a monetary award, a certificate of completion, a uniform complete with a lab coat, hat, collared shirt, back pack, and watch. It costs roughly $150 from start to finish, to train one of the boys to become a public health worker. This cost includes the course material, teacher salary and graduation costs. If you would like to help sponsor one of our boys please let me know.

Tinea Capitis Mass Treatment Complete!

Tinea Capitis (ringworm of the scalp), is on its way out after a 5-week mass treatment program undertaken by the public health team. 64 children were treated and cured. The second phase of the program is to target any children who were overlooked the first time and to begin them on treatment. Along with treatment, the house monitors are taught a basic understanding about tinea capitis and how it is spread, along with how to prevent it. The spread can largely be avoided by washing the scalp with soap, not sharing combs, brushes etc and washing clothing and sheets on a regular basis. After seeing the effects of our bed bug and scabies interventions, the monitors have agreed to help us rid their homes of tinea also.

Tuberculosis INH Treatment Program 2/3 Complete

After nearly 6 months of biweekly treatment, over 100 children/young adults are nearly finished with their INH treatment to prevent TB infection. With a compliance of just 42% in previous years, this year, under the auspices of the public health team and institution of DOT, the percentage of compliance has more than doubled to 86%. This is quite the feat that couldn’t have been made possible without the dedication and diligence put forth by the PH team.

On A Personal Note:

I can’t believe my time is winding down so quickly. After returning from the Dominican Republic for a nine-day getaway at Carnaval, I returned to Haiti refreshed and with a new perspective on the world and where I see myself in it. This has led to a mountain of self reflection and the reason for me not having posted on the blog in so long. The days are becoming longer, the work heavier and the nights shorter. In preparing for med school in August, I’ve been reviewing Anatomy and Physiology, Biochemistry and Genetics for at least an hour each morning right before my daily run. I’m in week 5 of my training for my next marathon in Duluth, MN on June 20th. This time, I’m running for me. It’s not a fundraiser but rather a personal goal I have set for myself. This week begins the stress of applying for medical school financial aid so please keep me in your prayers as I work to convince my school how much I am in need. Looking forward to your comments—Will P.