RETURNING TO OUR NORMAL WORKING RELATIONSHIP
Our main philosophy at Hopital Sacre Coeur is to teach Haitian medical personnel and to work side by side with the Haitian staff so when a volunteer leaves, quality medical care continues. That is why our hospital is considered the prototype for improving medical care in Haiti.
After the earthquake we had to temporarily abandon this working relationship because of the large increase in our patient population and the severity of the injuries. Our Haitian staff continued to care for the 75+ patients in our hospital and see the outpatients in our clinics. The volunteers now cared for the 500+ victims of the earthquake first in the schools and then in our tent hospital. The interaction between the two decreased significantly. Those of us that had volunteered before the earthquake felt a difference and missed the comraderie with our Haitian colleagues.
Now that our patients have stabilized and our numbers have decreased to 196 earthquake patients out of 279 total patients we were able to empty one of the tents. This allowed us to move our inpatient pediatric ward to this tent so we could renovate the old inpatient space. That was the catalyst to help us return to normal. Now that the inpatient pediatric ward was in tent hospital the Haitian staff were more willing to come to the tents. We then met with the director of nursing and arranged for a Haitian nurse to be in each tent to work with the volunteer team. Everyone was introduced to each other, communication was reestablished and the teaching team work returned.
It’s now been 3 days since this return to normal. We have teams of Haitian and volunteer nurses caring for all patients. We have a Haitian physician working with volunteer physicians to care for the tent patients. Our pediatricians are working in the inpatient pediatric unit and nutrition center and seeing clinic patients with our Haitian pediatricians. Our volunteer internists and family physicians are working in the HIV clinic, hypertension and diabetic clinic and general medical clinic with our Haitian physicians. We are again one hospital with volunteers and Haitians working side by side and teaching each other.
When I returned this week I was amazed at the recovery of the patients and the staff. Yesterday the children with amputations were playing soccer with the other children using their crutches for support so they could kick the ball. One of our volunteer nurses organized dancing in front of the tents that was fun for both patients and volunteers. Today some patients who previously wouldn’t get out of bed were up so they wouldn’t miss the dance scheduled for today. The staff is smiling and no longer look sleep deprived. They make serving meals for 77 people look routine and easy.
Our food needs still are challenging but thanks to the Jesuit Relief services and Malteser we are receiving shipments of food. Americares has
also offered to supply food as well as all the medications they provide. Project Hope was here again making sure our water purification system was working and the Siemen ultrasounds were ready for use. They also took a long list of our other needs which they will try to fill.
We discharged over 50 people back to Port au Prince last week and arranged for them to be met and provided with tents and a place to put them. We have other patients that will be discharged this week. Despite the discharges we have a large number of amputees who need therapy to get them ready for our prosthetic lab which will arrive in April. We also have a large number of orthopedic patients who require physical therapy each day.
Our teams of volunteers continue to amaze me. This week we have 77 doctors, nurses, PTs from all over the USA and Canada. In fact the hospitalier from the Canadian association of Malta who is a pediatrician is here this week. Within 24 hours they are working as a team focusing on taking the best care of the patients. I have had more than one physician tell me that we are the envy of most hospitals who try unsuccessfully get their staff to work as a team.
As we return to normal we need your continued support and prayers.
Thanks,
Peter Kelly M.D.
President – CRUDEM Foundation Inc
Here is the Denise Hoffmann’s presentation in case you have not had a chance already to see it
