 Accelien Jean recovers at the Infirmary St. Etienne on January 12th |
 Dr. Poussin follows the blood pressure of Liphane from the nursing home next door |
January 15, 2011
Last week January 12th was upon us again, almost like the 11th or the 13th, except …different. The symbolic perspective of a year gone by prodded increased reflection, memory, and pain. And of course, heightened media coverage. The hype, the scrutiny – one year later and what have we done?
At the Hope for Haiti Infirmary, work continued as it does every day. The clinic opened at 8am, the chairs were brought from their storage spot to the patient waiting area, vital signs were taken and dossiers prepared. It was quieter than usual, fewer patients, less chatter, a bit more introspection than a regular workday. But our care of the sick in Les Cayes continued, uninterrupted.
The government had announced a holiday aimed at respect and remembrance. Sadly, the announcement came without enough time to really unite the populace around either sentiment. Some schools cancelled classes, some businesses were closed, but other schools stayed open and commemorated the day, both historic and tragic, with their students and teachers. Many Haitians continued their everyday lives just like on the 11th or the 13th. Business as usual, except more somber.
 Dr. Steeve Victor and Nurse Fildor Dapheline dedicate half the day of remembrance to serving others |
As a healthcare facility, the Hope for Haiti Infirmary stayed open for a half day to treat any urgent cases waiting outside the red gates. We wanted to recognize the needs of our Haitian staff by giving them time with their friends and families. We wanted to remember those who were lost, and respect the pain of those who lost them. But we also wanted to show resilience. So what better way to remember the victims than to continue serving the survivors? On January 12th, we could have taken a full day off. But instead, we welcomed the vulnerable and treated the sick.
For Macilia St. Juste, an 81-year-old woman and regular patient at the clinic for her high blood pressure and diabetes, the clinic being open meant her getting treated for the fainting spell she had experienced that morning. As a result of the political unrest surrounding the November 28th elections, her medications were running low. But on January 12th, she came to clinic with her grandson and restocked.
One of our new Community Health Workers came in with his aging father-in-law. At 67 years old and only 85 pounds, Accelien Jean was not doing well at all. His malnourished frame lay hooked up to an IV as our nurses gave him urgent medications. Had our clinic not been open, January 12th might have claimed yet another victim.
Even if these were the only two patients we saw that morning, it would have been worth it. But there were others, children included. And so our commemoration tactics of service and perseverance paid off. In remembering the past, let us work to improve the present. In honoring the dead, let us not forget the living.
There is much to be done.