We did not know it at the time, but we became responsible for transitioning from a disaster relief operation to one that focused on primary care and aggressive secondary management of injuries sustained in the earthquake.

So what did it look like? Haitians would wait hours to be seen at the clinic, only to be turned away at closing time. Any American would be livid! They would simply sit down and wait until the next morning, holding their place in line. People who have so little are being asked to cope with apocalyptic suffering, but were amazingly calm. So grateful.

Despite the people’s resilience, there is so much work to be done. Our team saw 600-700 patients, and CCH teams have treated over 10,000 people since the quake. This does not even begin to touch the need in Haiti. We provided the basics in wound care, chronic disease management, orthopaedic surgery, pediatrics, and gynecology, but were devoid of options for patients requiring mental health counseling, physical and occupational therapy, and facilities for necessary but non-emergent surgery. We had no functioning X-ray machine or laboratory. I learned the importance of asking “when was the last time you’ve had anything to drink?”, because they do not offer that information. It was not uncommon for a person to go without water for three full days, and their last drink had been less than one quart. The lack of adequate nutrition exaggerates the effect of illness.

It seems there are “micro” and “macro” elements to a disaster. Medicine is intrinsically a “micro” element: People are treated one at a time. Care is individualized, and the interaction is deeply personal. What stunned me over the individuals were the unmet needs on the “macro” level. Haiti’s per capita GDP is less than 3% of the United States. Unemployment, as we define it in America, hovers around 80%. City power in Jacmel is on for three hours each day. There was no discernable sewer or water treatment infrastructure. And finally, there is no overarching leadership of the aid organizations to help direct and distribute resources. Well-intentioned and often well-financed individuals are making it to Haiti, but being unfamiliar with the culture and needs on the ground, are unable to help in any meaningful way.

My eyes have been opened to what true suffering looks like. I’ve never experienced it, but my Hollywood-influenced brain imagined wailing, torn clothes, and chaos. What I witnessed in Jacmel, Haiti was true suffering, but it was nothing like I imagined.

Healing is a painful process, especially without pain medicine, but I've never worked with tougher, more resilient patients than I did in Haiti. Despite abject poverty and no reason to hope in the infrastructure around them, I saw a real desire to heal and move on.

For More First-Hand Accounts Go To
www.hopeww.org/haitifirsthand