COVID-19 Response
Hand-washing stations
With your help, we set up hundreds of rapid response hand-washing stations in Cite Soleil. There is a serious lack of adequate running water for the community to practice hand hygiene during this pandemic. These stations are buckets with soap and water so people can practice the recommended hand hygiene to prevent spread.
Our team has modeled our response after consulting with PIH nurses in Uganda with experience in Ebola prevention. This effort was a collaboration between folks in Haiti, Uganda, Boston, and Seattle. We live in extraordinary times, in so many ways. The hand-washing stations have been maintained by the community and we continue to restock soap supplies. Thanks to our incredible community and team, it took 2 hours to raise the funds and one day to set them all up.
Masks
To protect patients, the next goal was a large effort in making and distributing masks. We've been able to hire local tailors to make hundreds of masks in Cite Soleil. We have provided masks for every single one of our mobile clinic patients and their families. Doing our best to prevent the spread in the face of expanding confirmed cases in Haiti with high-quality masks, while supporting local workforce.
Emergency food distribution
With COVID-19 shutdowns, many are out of work and markets have been sporadic. This puts patients in a precarious position and we are doing everything we can to make sure no one goes hungry.
We have set up food distributions to make sure patients and their families can get through this crisis. The team filled up multiple tap-taps full of rice for families and other pantry items.
Medication supply
Before COVID-19 in Haiti, we ran mobile clinics to provide free healthcare and medication to patients in Cite Soleil. With large gatherings prohibited, we decided the best thing to do was to distribute a 3-month supply of medication to all patients.
We will continue to do so until it is safe to run clinic again and are in contact with patients who need acute care in the meantime.
Taking care of students
As is the case all around the world, nursing, technician, and medical schools closed for a few months. During this time, students were out of the classroom and did not have the infrastructure for distance learning.
While working on solutions and waiting to see when schools will re-open, we provided students a salary to get them through. Now students, are back in action.
in loving memory: Dr. Paul
It is with tremendous grief and sadness to announce that Dr. Paul, the lead physician for the mobile clinic, has died. Unfortunately, he passed very quickly, over the course of two days, and we are unsure of the cause as there were no tests available.
Dr. Paul was a loved colleague, friend and mentor. In the early days of the clinic, he volunteered to treat patients free of charge until we became a proper NGO. He always greeted everyone with a smile, was a patient teacher, and caring physician. To say he will be missed is an understatement. We feel & mourn this loss profoundly.