Our trip always starts a few months earlier as thousands of pounds of supplies are collected, some bought/some donated, boxed, labeled, palleted, shrink wrapped, and shipped to Florida. We are working to optimize the shipping process trying a new method each year. This year we shipped by container by boat to Cap Haitien and then by truck to Pignon. We sent 10,000 pounds of supplies, on 20 pallets. The primary benefit is the cost savings of more than half what we would spend shipping via MAF. The supplies arrived in better shape this year, but we did lose 70 boxes somewhere in the process. The challenge is to get the details of the paperwork (detailed bill of lading, estimated costs of donations, letters of donation) and the efforts of the folks in Haiti coordinated to get the franchise customs exemption, and then safely transport the supplies from Cap to Pignon. We have opted to hand carry the mission critical supplies: drugs, suture, etc when we come but hope to refine this process in the future.
Carrying Scheduled/controlled medications out of the country is also detail intense, requiring pre-approval by the DEA, letters from the hospital and from the donors and notifying the various TSA authorities at the involved airports. This is always intense for those concerned as we typically carry over $3000 worth of medication, and most is not available and/or affordable in Haiti.
Our 15 member team consisted of 2 surgeons (including a 4th year resident), 2 OB/gyns, 4 CRNAs, 4 nurses, 1 supply expert, and 2 non medical personnel/ community liaisons. We did 35 cases, most of them major procedures (requiring a recuperative stay in the hospital), including many hysterectomies, large hernia repairs, cancer resections.
We brought a fourth year general surgery resident this year, having gotten approval from the residency to get credit for this experience and intend to bring a resident in future years, training them for future work in developing countries. Our community based activities include support for the goat program as we typically have 40-50 donors each year. We also help support the Campbells’ orphanage with in kind donations. Kevin traveled to Cap to connect with a Minnesota based mission working on wells, as he serves on their board. We continue to work with the hospital staff to identify and prioritize equipment and supply needs which the anesthesia staff and Georgia focused on. We also collaborated to improve some of the organization of the supplies working towards accurate inventory in the future.
Our focus is provision of necessary surgeries especially for the poorest of the poor, continuing education and support for the Haitian staff, and provision of supplies for the hospital to function through out the year. However the development and nurturing of our relationships with the hospital staff and the community is of equal importance to us. We were overcome by the generous gifts and notes given each of us from the OR staff, knowing of the challenges that are part of their daily lives.
