Greetings Friends of Haiti Clinic!

Just back from a clinic in Cité Soleil. I would like to share with you what we experienced.

10 of us (4 doctors, 3 nurses, 2 non medical volunteers and 1 EMT) carried 21 bags of medications and supplies. We flew Air France from Miami to Port au Prince. We arrived at 1pm and were working in the clinic 2 hours later. We not only staffed our clinic at Mission Ranch, but opened a “satellite” clinic in Soutane, which is an even poorer neighborhood about 1/2 mile down the road.

The new clinic consists of an army tent pitched on a vacant lot. The area appears to be built on a garbage dump. There is raw sewage and excrement everywhere. Pigs and goats hunt for food. People live in tin shacks, with mud floors. There is no running water, electricity or toilets. I have never seen such devastating poverty.

We opened to standing room only crowds. Most people there never see a doctor. Many children had the orange hair and distended abdomens of kwashiorkor–severe protein deficiency. They walked barefoot in places I did not even want to go in my trail running shoes.

We treated many sorts of infections: parasites, fungal and bacterial. We treated these with the thousands of medications we purchased with the money you sent.

We saw many with infections that we were not able to treat: AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We are planning tests and procedures so that we will be able to diagnose and treat these scourges.

We saw many with chronic diseases: hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis. We now employ a Haitian doctors who will be able to test and treat these patients on a daily basis at our clinic.
The weather was hot but the rains held off. (for now)

We were able to treat 1170 people, but there are thousands more who need our help. We plan monthly clinics. Each clinic costs about $7,000 which includes the medications we buy at a steep discount, car and driver, Haitian health workers, security, etc. but does not include the costs of air transportation, food and hotels for the 10 volunteers, who pay their own way)

We want to buy several lap top computers to make the clinics run more efficiently and to help us with inventory control in the pharmacies.

Depressing?–yes
Frustrating?–yes
But also energizing. All of us left with the desire to return and improve.
We have so much work ahead. All of this requires money. We so much appreciate your contributions. I hope we can count on your continued support. Visit our website Haiticlinic.org and our Facebook page for updates.
Thank you

Neil Heskel MD
President, Haiti Clinic