With medical supplies in tow, a team of Simcoe County health care workers land in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to begin their week-long mission.
The Broken Earth team arrived in Haiti on Sunday, where they found the island country still very much in shambles.
After getting settled, the team of 16 travelled to Hospital Benard Mevs – their base of operations.
“Things are not easier after all of the relief work after the earthquake,” says Dr. Joanna Cherry, chief medical officer at the hospital. “We still have to deal with the everyday medical emergencies and necessities for the country.”
Cherry immediately briefed doctors on a blood shortage the community is currently facing. It’s because of blood-borne disease like malaria, Zika and HIV.
“They don't have a good system here,” says Dr. John O’Sullivan. “It's very hard to get donors because of the exclusion criteria.”
The conditions in Haiti are unlike anything seen by most Canadians.
One of the first cases the team assessed was that of a 7-month-old baby, who is suffering from Hydrocephalus. It’s a medical condition that results in a fluid build-up in the skull.
In this case the condition was not treated early enough; the little girl will not survive. All they can do now is keep her comfortable.
“I have never seen a baby with Hydrocephalus ever; maybe only in pictures and to see it in person. It’s the most touching thing I've seen yet and it's only day one,” says ICU nurse Karen Clarke.
The heart breaking reality is that the Broken Earth team will not be able to help everybody, but they will do what they can over the next seven days.
