Women doctors return from service in Haiti

On March 2, seven U.S. doctors gave a report on their month-long mission of providing post-earthquake medical services in Haiti at a program at Judson Memorial Church in New York City.

The Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO)/Pastors for Peace sponsored the event. IFCO also sent staff to Haiti to provide supportive services and worked with a grassroots coalition of 180 Haitian and Dominican youth.

IFCO is a 43-year-old non-profit agency working for racial, social and economic justice. It administers a scholarship program for medical students who receive training in Cuba at the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana. The school was founded 10 years ago to help countries affected by hurricanes and other disasters. The U.S. doctors — medical school graduates trained in Cuba — were part of Cuba’s Henry Reeve Brigade, which, in the aftermath of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster in the U.S., offered to send 100 doctors. The U.S. government refused their help.

Presently, the LASM provides medical training to students from 49 different countries, including the U.S. Cuba is aware that in a rich country like the U.S. there are students living in poverty who cannot afford medical training, IFCO said. Immediately after the earthquake, Cuba set up five emergency hospitals in Haiti and had already been training Haitian medical students in disaster response.

The seven doctors are all young Black women, one of whom is Haitian-American. Five of them are from NYC, the other two from Houston, Texas and Oakland, Calif. They reported that Cuba trains doctors in community medicine, preventive and primary care services, disaster response and work within a public health care system. They were taught to be resourceful and creative when modern medical equipment is not available.

The doctors traveled to Haiti via the Dominican Republic. They showed photos and told of their long around-the-clock shifts working six days a week in a field hospital under a tent, without running water. On their first day, they said, approximately 2,000 people passed through the hospital. The temperature rose to 100 degrees. They treated patients both indoors and outdoors along with Cuban-trained doctors from other Latin American countries. Medical teams also consisted of pediatricians, surgeons, rehab specialists, psychiatrists and social workers, who worked alongside Haitian doctors and professionals.

In Croix des Boquets the doctors slept on the ground in small tents. They treated thousands of patients, many of whom had never before seen a doctor. Each doctor provided care to at least 100 patients a day. Patients were both earthquake victims and those who had chronic, pre-existing medical problems. Common among these were typhoid, infectious diarrhea, malaria and malnutrition.

They found babies dying from fractured skulls, infection and dehydration. In addition, they each delivered approximately six babies a day. The doctors expressed concern for the psychological trauma of the children, because they are Haiti’s future. Part of the work with children consisted of having Haitian children write their stories in Creole. Their writings were then sent to Cuba, translated into Spanish and shared with Cuban children.

The doctors spoke about the pain and suffering, courage, resilience and graciousness of the Haitian people. They added that the Haitians’ trauma will be long lasting. Currently, the doctors are concerned about the increase in infectious diseases that the rainy season is bringing due to poor sanitation, sewage and lack of shelter.

In total, the doctors saw about 20,000 patients and performed 188 major surgeries. They spoke of how they were all trained to be committed to serve the human race, regardless of color or ethnicity. They added that everyone must be humane enough to collectively help each other and give love, energy, solidarity and dedication to the cause of humanity.

Each doctor emotionally concluded their report by saying how personally affected they were witnessing the disaster’s aftermath. The catastrophe was a watershed moment for them, and that despite the language gap, they communicated through touches, smiles and tears. When they became overwhelmed they gave support and strength to each other.

The Haitian-American doctor said she felt privileged to be able to help her people, but went there very afraid of what she would see. She was able to connect with her family but also lost several family members in the earthquake. She asked that people please not forget Haiti.

The Rev. Lucius Walker, IFCO’s executive director, ended the program by announcing that later this month IFCO, Local 100 of the Transit Workers Union and Riverside Church will join in sending a 40-foot container by boat to Haiti with medical equipment and supplies. Donations can be sent to IFCO, 418 W. 145th St., NY 10031, memo: Haiti Medical Service Project. Following the program, dinner was served by Haitian-American women.