We are currently sitting in a pool of sweat blogging from an Internet cafe in Jacmel. It has been quite the adventure since we arrived from our 2 hour trip from Port Au Prince. The drive down was very scenic and beautiful. We are staying in a hotel that is in the heart of the city, which overlooks the Caribbean - absolutely gorgeous. Last night at dinner, during our debriefing, we witnessed a runaway bride. Yes, that's right - a runaway bride...which the whole community ran after her and taunted the poor lady. She began to cry and hide behind a vehicle, but that didn't stop everyone from chasing after her. ...it was a sight to see. We began to assess the community during dinner and were astounded to realize the communities strengths as well as weaknesses. It was amazing to see members whom were not employed by the city outside sweeping and picking up trash together. There is no place to put the trash so it all gets swept into a huge pile in the middle of the streets. This shows how they indeed do care about the city's appearance as well as their own, yet do not have the appropriate services to meet their needs. Something as simple as having a few trash cans on each corner would make the world of a difference. Along with the trash, the air quality is extremely poor. Surprisingly, there are many cars and motorcycles which emit smog and unsafe emissions due to the fact that they are not inspected or regulated. This poor quality can lead to many of their respiratory issues and can contribute to a slow healing process when already ill.
Today, we got an in depth tour of Saint Michelle Hospital, which was far from any conditions imaginable in the U.S. The Pediatric Unit was especially surprising and touching at the same time. The conditions were awful and the low birth weight infants were wrapped in foil. In the U.S, these babies would be in incubators to help their little bodies thermoregulate and get stronger. Unfortunately, due to the poor financial situation, the government cannot afford them so they make due with what they have. The children were so precious and stole all of our hearts, smiling and waving at us. Even the little babies all wrapped up and hooked to the tubes seemed to have character and were struggling to pull through and have a chance at life. The ER was also a HUGE shock. It was a complete mess!!!! There was no structure whatsoever.... the patient table was right next to the waiting room chairs which did not allow for any sort of privacy. Upstairs, there was an HIV clinic which is funded by the American government, so that is a plus. It was also odd to see that the hospital closed and has actual hours. The only department that stays open is the ER. They need a lot of help there to say the least but the problem is we have no idea where to even start because of the extent of problems that exist.
Overall, it was an amazing day and we learned a lot about how things operate here and what would be needed to be implemented in order to have a more successful medical system. That's all for now, we have probably lost about ten pounds of sweat between the 5 of us and gotta get out of here! EW!
Shannon, Amy, Jessica, Amber, Brooke
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