Day 4

Last night we received word from the Haitian police that they expected a big political demonstration outside of the presidential palace that had the potential to turn very violent. We decided to not split the team today and all stay at the compound because it could be unsafe to leave. It turned out to be a very peaceful demonstration by some churches with just a group of people singing songs! We were able to see a lot of patients instead with all 37 team members here. I was in the triage/well treatment tent while Lidie was in the pediatric room for her third day. We delivered a baby in the OB clinic and had about five women come in ready to deliver any day now. The finance building across the street had a section collapse today while 15 people were inside lotting. One came to our clinic with some major wounds while the others are still trapped inside. It caused a lot of anxiety amongst the people. We have seen a lot of post traumatic stress in the patients. Some people are coming through with broken bones from the quake that healed broken. The pediatric clinic had a 5 month old who contracted typhoid meningitis at one month old. The hospital here turned them away when they went to the hospital at the time of contraction because they could not pay for the typhoid test. The child is now deaf, blind, completely hypotonic, can't hold his had up, and is constantly febrile. Today was the first time that the mother found out that her child has typhoid meningitis, is deaf, and blind. She was devastated. We were however to give her a tent water, food, diapers, and develop a neck stabilizer, and sling for the mom to carry her baby. Before today she has been sleeping on the streets with him. The mother that had the baby also received the same items because she too had nowhere to sleep. In the hospital here, if you need medicine, IV fluids, or basically anything, your family goes down to the pharmacy, buys it, and brings it up to be given. If you can't afford it you don't get it. The doctors and nurses here also haven't been paid since November because of government corruption so it's difficult to get anything done. One of our doctors has been waiting three days for CBC labs to return so that he can give a lady a transfusion but they have been lost.
We walked around some this afternoon and got to walk through a tent city. All of the parks and open spaces are filled with tents. Very Very few people still live in their homes. On a lighter note we had Dominos delivered tonight! Yes Dominos pizza! With coke and sprite! Grabbed a beer and toke a stroll around the city. It was a much needed break. We have seen about 1,000 a day the last three days between our rural and Mission Riscate teams.