HAITI MISSION 2010

Mission Background

On January 12, the island of Haiti was devastated by an earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people and left many disabled, homeless and/or orphaned in the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. Many organizations and nations, including our dear United States, responded to rescue people. Horizon International Medical Mission (HIMM) was among them. We responded as a third-tier team after the acute trauma.

Mission Organization and Team

HIMM, in partnership with WJCL TV and The Sycamore Church, started to organize a team to serve the Haitians. A container-load of medical supplies, food, and clothes were put together with the help of the people of Tybee Island and Savannah.

On February 28, a 20-person team led by HIMM’s visionary Founder and President Dr. Kennedy Okere left for Haiti. Most teams from the United States were composed of  5-7 people specializing purely in medicine or in faith-based missions. HIMM’s team was made of 20 people from diverse disciplines including medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, a psychotherapist specializing in grief management, a pastor, Christian counselors, and auxiliary workers. Everyone on the team found a place to serve in Haiti.

Mission Patients, Diagnoses, and Emotions

During the week, the team tended to approximately 800 patients. We were based at the Presbyterian Mission in Cabaret; however, we also saw patients in Port au Prince, and the rural communities of Fovo, and Betccy. The earthquake also touched these areas but not as badly as Port au Prince.

The main diagnoses we saw were infections, primarily acute malaria and Typhoid. Skin diseases also were present. This was not surprising due to public health issues. Many did not have good water to use to shower, drink or cook. Many kids were found taking showers in the gutter with filthy water, some in contaminated rivers where sewage was also dumped. We repaired laceration injuries, dressed wounds and performed post-operative follow ups.

Our psychotherapist, Dr. Stanley Williams, and our pastor, Dr. Dusty Reynolds, attended to 110 patients. They assisted those who lost loved ones in the earthquake, and they helped restore hope again in the Lord. The rapid increase in teenage pregnancy among Haitians post-earthquake was cause for concern. Dr Stanley intends to work further with 28 Haitian churches to develop a program that will help decrease teenage pregnancy in this country with an already high number of orphans.

Mission Future Concerns: Housing, Infections, Clean Water, Hunger

Many people have been displaced from their homes by the earthquake. Makeshift tents were donated by the Red Cross and the United Nations. Others built shelter with sticks and chaffy waterproof bags in Port au Prince and sometimes in rural areas. Some of our patients had symptoms of tuberculosis and live in the enclosed environments described above. Airborne infections such as tuberculosis can easily spread and will be a major contributor of mortality and morbidity. With the onset of the rainy season, some of the tents have already begun to flood and rip apart. Where will the new homes be for these victims of this natural disaster? How can we combat the public health issues?

Access to clean water is a major problem, especially in the suburbs. Most of the world’s attention is focused in Port au Prince, but more people are suffering in the suburbs and dying of hunger. Wells would be helpful. Nonprofit organizations that really touch grass roots efforts are what is needed now more than ever. Although the media is no longer focused on Haiti, the suffering of the people has not gone away and will be present for years to come.

Haiti is a major concern to the world. The problems are diverse and range from healthcare to economic and socio-political issues. There should be an integrated approach in order to achieve success. Public health education and provision of clean water will enhance survival.

For pictures and video from HIMM’s Haiti Mission 2010, please visit our partners at www.thesycamorechurch.com.

Kennedy Okere, M.D., President & Founder
Horizon International Medical Mission (HIMM), Inc.