Haiti - A student's perspective on a recent experience

I looked out the plane window at the white-spotted city of Port-au-Prince, “I wish I was going home… What was I thinking?” In early May of 2011, a team of six Ontarian nurses, one paramedic, and myself, a level 3 McMaster nursing student, flew down to Port-au-Prince to run a series of mobile clinics organized through Coram Deo International Aid (CDIA). Upon arrival we began sorting medications and met with our team of Haitian translators and Dr. Ed Amos, a Physician’s Assistant from Michigan who has been living and working in Haiti for over 9 years. During our 10 day stay we set up 6 clinics, treating over 200 Haitians daily. Clinics were organized in the mountains of Fort Jacques, a tent city, schools, a church, and in the slums of La Saline, on the outskirts of Cite Soleil. Our clinics were organized into registration, whose jobs included documenting vitals, weight, age, and the patient’s chief complaint. Following registration, patients were sent to advancé to wait for a provider, who was accompanied by a translator. Once their diagnosis was determined patients would go to the pharmacy table and collect their prescriptions. As a nursing student, with limited clinical experience, I was absorbed by what I saw. The daily ethical dilemmas were unlike anything I had ever experienced.“I would like to be treated.” “Do you have a number?”“Non.”“Then I am sorry, we do not have enough medications for everyone…”Clinically I learned about assessing and treating different diseases and conditions, including goiters, worms, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), Anemia, and various skin infections. I was surprised by the vast number of young pregnancies (12-14 year olds), severe anemia, ophthalmic infections and young children with STIs. A young boy comes to mind; at 11 he was experiencing the tertiary stage of syphilis, namely the lack of vision and neurological function. The effects of the earthquake were still very evident. For instance, an elderly woman came in with constant ringing in her ears, a young boy could no longer respond to his name, read, or write; both effects of their brain damage. I also had opportunities to interact with the Haitians about their new president Martelly, how they felt about their government, and their hopes for the future. “Hope and faith,” our translator Charles told me, “is what gets me through. In Haiti, you must be so patient.” And yes, they are so patient, waiting calmly 8 hours at times just to be treated. They are just as hopeful, beautiful, and resilient as you have all heard, yet, there is a deep sense of loss and stagnation as the people patiently wait for their government to aid them out of this destruction. I am thankful to have had this experience, shocked by what I saw, and yet excited to find a role in helping work towards the future of healthcare in Haiti. I have found my passion, global health, and eager to find where this interest may lead me.