So, what does a medical clinic look like- Haitian style?
The work begins in the US, collecting medicine (antibiotics, antifungals, parasite meds, vitamins, creams, etc.) and medical supplies (bandages, sutures, syringes, thermometers, etc.). Once we've begged, borrowed & bartered anything "medical" we can get our hands on, the team is packed up (duffle bags & foot lockers) and head south.
After unpacking supplies have to be sorted and medicine pre-packaged & labeled. The morning of the clinic, we load all the supplies in the truck to transport from the orphanage to the church pavilion, where the clinic is held.

Patients are already gathering as the clinic is set up and preparations made. We give out numbers to try and maintain order (and an attempt is made to limit the number of patients seen in a day to 125- ha! ha!).
It's not easy to get anything done with kids attached to your legs!
1st, Marie Joe registered families taking names, ages & gender info and giving each family a number. Whole families came pouring in to get an opportunity to talk to and be seen by a doctor or nurse.

Then patients would find a seat and wait to be called by our "nursing assitants".


Next Pastor Glenn was in charge of blood pressure. He was able to tell hundreds of people about Jesus love for them while he had them "on a leash". Nothing like a captive audience!








It was an exhausting and rewarding experience. We saw more than 300 families over the 2 1/2 days of clinic...some simple, not serious things like coughs, colds & fevers... and some very serious like deep untreated and infected wounds and burns, severe malnutrition, and even a little girl with spina bifida.
We can't say thank you enough for everyone who made this medical clinic, and smaller ones we've had in the past, possible. From all those who pitched in to help on-site, to those who gave money, medicine, and supplies, to those who helped with packing & organizing, we are so very grateful. We hope to be able to do similar clinics often and even one day have a working clinic on-site to serve these who have no where else to turn.


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