Haiti Jan. 7, 2013

Breakfast started with fresh fruit, juice, chocolate chip pancakes and coffee- very nice. We were picked up by Ricardo, he drives for Bernard Mevs and he took us to the hospital. My Dad was greeted by Toni, the chief medical officer who was concerned about needing his help with fixing possible broken respirator. This is why he is in Haiti to help repair broken medical equipment and teach the locals how to do so through his organization BETA. With already limited equipment, it is critical to have someone available to repair things, otherwise when the machines malfunction patients can die. My Dad made progress meeting with folks. I helped out in Triage clinic which at that hospital includes diagnosing and treating. Myself, a translator & Pierre an EMT made plans for mobile clinics. We enjoyed a flavorful Haitian lunch provided by the hospital; I chose the plate with vegetable mix, rice, and black bean sauce. I made some arrangements with a friend’s brother who runs a pharmacy in Haiti to collaborate on possibly cheaper medications for mobile clinics. The goal is to find a local pharmacy where we can purchase medications regularly for mobile clinics in Haiti. This may require getting meds from different pharmacies as not all of them offer low prices on all the meds or even have all the medications in stock. He came and met with me at the hospital and I provided him with a list of medications, again to try and get the cheapest deals so he will get back to me with prices. I was impressed that he spent two hours getting there to meet me on a taptap (local mini-truck) and he was so willing to come back. That, to me, is the kind of service that makes one want to engage in long-term business interactions. There are more doctors and a pharmacy tech possibly interested in mobile clinics. I went to dinner at the UN restaurant with my Dad and volunteers from Bernard Mevs. Gideon dropped me off at guesthouse after.