Not long after I learned that the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti had spared our hospital, I remember thinking that our hospital would be forever changed.
Over the next six months Hôpital Sacré Coeur really became two different hospitals. Our existing facility continued to provide care and services to our local and regional patients; at the same time, we constructed temporary facilities across the street – by clearing a banana field – from the hospital to house, treat and rehabilitate the victims of the earthquake. It has been a real testament to the dedication of our Haitian hospital staff, our volunteers, and our CRUDEM staff to coordinate this effort and maintain it for such a long time.
Because of the earthquake, a number of developments have occurred that will necessitate several building and maintenance projects: Hôpital Sacré Coeur has gained an even larger reputation within the country of Haiti for its quality of care, comprehensive facilities, and experienced staff. More and more Haitians are traveling farther than ever to receive quality care.
The good news is that our hospital has gained a reputation that draws patients far beyond the local region. The challenge that we face: We are at capacity in many of the key areas within our healthcare facility. So, with the full support of CRUDEM’s Board of Directors, the building committee has begun the task of completing some key projects within the next few months to meet the needs of an ever-growing healthcare facility. Following are details of some of those projects.
Redesign of our electrical grid: Our entire campus receives its power via diesel-powered generators that operate continually for 12 hours, after which our power shifts over to a battery-powered inverter system for the next 12 hours. With the enormous growth over the last few years, our generators and the current power grid cannot meet the need. We are currently in the process of evaluating and redesigning our power system with the intent of placing all of the power distribution underground to allow for larger capacity and reliability over the next few years. This will require the installation of a much larger system and the installation of two new large-capacity generators, along with a battery inverter system.
Central Warehouse: Currently, our medical supplies are stored in various available buildings and temporary shelters throughout the campus. All of these buildings vary in size and the items they house. Each facility is completely full. We have just begun the construction of a 6,000 sq. ft. pre-fabricated Sprung building that will house all of our medical supplies and medical equipment. It will have twenty two-foot ceilings so we can build shelving to double- and triple- stack supplies to optimize storage. The building will also have temperature- and humidity-controlled zones to accommodate specific medicines. In addition to the construction of this storage department, we will also install a Bar Code Inventory System to track all of the items before they are stored inside. Our Haitian staff will simply “wand” the items before they are stored, instantly uploading them into our system. We also now have a forklift that can be used to unload a truck full of supplies, as well as operate within this new storage facility. Having all of our supplies under one roof will allow for greater ease in filling requests for our hospital, protect them fully from the harsh Haitian environment and allow for superior inventory control, not to mention greater storage capacity.
Laboratory expansion: Thanks to the vision of Sr. Marie Vittetoe, a long-time volunteer, Hôpital Sacré Coeur has a Lab that is second to none in Haiti. The facilities and the Haitian staff that run our Lab prove this day in and day out. To meet the needs of a growing hospital, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has begun to assist us in expanding our Lab. In a collaborative effort with CRS, by this fall we will have a Lab that will be able to meet the ever-increasing demand put on it.
Maintenance Building: CRUDEM has a wonderful maintenance staff that attends to all of our building and mechanical needs. Currently, our staff is working out of two small rooms within our hospital compound. By early September, we will have constructed a 2,500 sq. ft. maintenance building that will house all of our tools, building and maintenance supplies, as well as a shop to fabricate items. Our maintenance staff is very excited to have their own space to work out of and store all of their tools and materials. As we continue to grow, the need for functioning equipment and facilities becomes more critical. This project will meet that need instantly.
Fresh water well: We currently have three different 60- to 70-ft. wells that provide water for our hospital and surrounding facilities. The need for additional capacity has led us to constructing a 200-ft. well and new water tower that should be completed by September. Project Hope donated a 6,000 gallon capacity solar water purification system to allow us to pipe clean water throughout all of the three complexes which make up the hospital operations.
VSAT system: Within any organization, the most critical element to success is clear and consistent communication. We have had internet service in Haiti for a few years now, but until very recently, that service has been inconsistent – posing a challenge for our Haitian staff, as well as our volunteers and Board members. By the end of August, two new high speed satellite systems will be installed that will allow for uninterrupted internet service. The software capability with the system will also allow for video conferencing with our Haitian staff.
We feel very fortunate to have a dedicated volunteer, Tim Traynor, to coordinate all of these efforts. Tim, a contractor from Massachusetts, has made numerous trips to CRUDEM over the last few years. He has demonstrated a passion for helping others, especially the people of Haiti, and has been invaluable to us as we attempt the task of modernizing and expanding CRUDEM.
These are just a few of the projects that are underway in the hopes of improving what we feel is the model for healthcare in Haiti. All of these projects are in collaboration with volunteers and our Haitian staff. We rely on a dedicated staff of Haitian administrators, medical professionals and non-medical staff to execute daily our mission of serving the sick and poor of Haiti.
I am truly grateful that with your continued financial support we can continue to grow and expand our mission.
Charles T. Dubuque
Board Member, CRUDEM Foundation
