By Oscar Bermudez, C.P.O. CAT II
The Hôpital Sacré Coeur Prosthetics and Orthotics Laboratory is located in the area of the general services building, just across the street from the hospital. This facility is well known to all the amputees, the population of Milot, and the residents of northern Haiti that come every week to receive all types of attention.
The education and training program began in mid January with the search for two local candidates who would want to be part of a nationwide program, with the Universidad Don Bosco (El Salvador), to become certified Prosthetis/Orthotis, and eventually after the three year program, work fulltime in the laboratory.
With the vision and conviction of Dr. John Lovejoy, who is the Director of the Laboratory, and with the advice and guidance of Dr. Harold Previl, who is now the CEO of the HSC, the selection process started throughout Milot, Cap Haïtien and the surrounding areas. After the review of many resumes, three exams and five interviews; two people were selected. They were invited to join the program and dedicate five years to the project.
Six months later Daniel Etienne, 35 and Dantus Gilles, 29 began the program. They very naturally adapted to the schedule, faithfully spending everyday Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm learning in the laboratory and, more importantly, helping all the Haitians with disability to somehow return to being an active member of the society.
A normal day in the lab for them consists of online classes from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. The rest of the day Daniel and Dantus put in practice all the material that they learn, whether it´s taking a cast of a new patient or any other step of the process to make prosthetic devices, or even a following up with previous patients.
During these past seven months the laboratory has treated 32 patients that needed a new prosthesis, 12 for orthosis, and around 15 patients that needed various repairs for devices that were made during 2010 or 2011 here in Milot.
Between classes, exams, research, and the knocking on the lab door three or four times per day to attend to various needs of the population, the students are waiting for October to have their first real exam, when a teacher from the University will come to evaluate everything that they have learned during the six months of the first module. There is an enormous amount of confidence that with every patient that they help Daniel and Dantus are one step closer to becoming professionals in the Prosthetic Orthotic field, an area of big need in the north of Haiti.
The laboratory relies on different types of materials and components to attend to any and every need of the patient as soon as possible. If it is possible to do a repair or treatment at that moment, with the help of some people in the USA, in a couple of months the lab has everything that is needed to meet the patients’ needs. As Daniel and Dantus are learning, it is hard but fulfilling work to make devices that allow the patients to not just walk again but to regain confidence and attain a brighter future.
Remember if you want to help just donate to CRUDEM and specify that your donation is for the P&O Laboratory. All such designated funds will be used toward Daniel’s and Dantus´ education and in the treatment of the many Haitians that still need help after the earthquake.
Oscar Bermudez, C.P.O. CAT II trained in the Don Bosco University program in his native El Salvador. He worked in Haiti after the earthquake and was hired by CRUDEM to train two Haitians in the UDB prosthetic program and run the lab. Oscar has been a God send. Thanks to his skill and caring, the students are passing their exams and the patients are getting superb care.
