NSVI (No-Scalpel
Vasectomy International) in Haiti
September 2, 2010 - Day
4 -
Cap Haitien |
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After another hearty
breakfast, we waited for our drivers, Wolf and
Laurore, at the entrance to the Mont-Joli Hotel. |
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| Not scheduled to
arrive at Justinien Hospital for our vasectomy mission until later
in the morning, we took advantage of the extra time to drive along
the north coast of Haiti west of Cap Haitien. There was an
impressive series of columns ... some grand idea unfinished
apparently. And one of the best "beach" hotels was at the end of the
coast road that stretched north from Cap Haitien. |
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| We saw some of
the worst shanties with some of the best views in the Caribbean
... and a few old cannons, surrounded by broken walls and wet
laundry, served as reminders of a time when inhabitants of the
area might never have predicted that it would someday be the
poorest nation in the western hemisphere. |
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On this map, one can see that
dead-end road extending north from Cap Haitien. When we returned
from that short drive, we decided to see the famous Labadee Cruise
Ship docks. To get there, we drove overland to the north coast. |
View Larger Map |
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The north coast had some very pretty spots. |
The road, the main supply route for cruise ship
workers and goods, descended through sparse forest to ... |
... the administrative entrance of the port and
resort. But the entrance was closed because there had been a power
outage and workers were too busy for visitors. |
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| On the
way back, we noticed an entryway arch that we had not
investigated coming in. |
This time
we investigated and were rewarded with an fascinating surprise. |
A walkway
led up to the most impressive vista we had seen in all of Haiti. |
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| A
special platform served as the take-off spot for a massive zip
line |
that
brought fliers right into the heart of the resort. |
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And one brave soul was being taught by a
trainer who obviously knew the ropes. |
First the trainee |
then the trainer. I was very envious. Next
time maybe. |
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| Coming back
down from the hills, we caught some beautiful views of Cap Haitien
and its harbor. Then we went straight to Justinien Hospital, the
largest health care facility in northern Haiti. |
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| Much is
written in Creole, but formal signage is often in French. |
The old
impressive building must have a colorful history. |
We parked
our MSH vehicles off to the side, |
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and
we were joined by Juline Mauricette of the Cap Haitien
Health Network Support Team
Juline has been
working for the last 2 years with Food for the
Poor in Cap Haitien, starting as an intern with
Father Duken and rising to a project manager for
that important agency. She returned to Haiti in
2008 after completing high school in South
Florida, and speaks English really as her
primary language, while her Creole has returned
and improved during her return to her country.
She resigned from her work with Food for the Poor
to join the CHHN team. Her primary function is
to solicit the needs of area health care
providers and see that donated supplies
(primarily pharmaceuticals) reach the sites
where they are most needed.
Pictured are drivers Wolf and Laurore, Dr.
Lolagne, Lisette, Dr. Revolus, Juline, and Dr.
Suarez.
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While we all waited for our audience with the
hospital administrator, and for our patients to arrive, Dr. Suarez
and I strolled down the street that leads up to Justinien
Hospital, tucked in the foothills of the mountains surrounding Cap
Haitien. It was lined by numerous clinics providing a variety of
services from breastfeeding classes to laboratory and pharmacy. |
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Before heading to the OR, Drs. Stein and Suarez
demonstrate the preparation and use of the MadaJet and review the
NNNSV technique with the help of a DVD video and still photos on Dr.
Stein's computer. The man in the green scrubs is Randy Moore, ARNP
(Pediatrics), who may prove to be one of our most enthusiastic
promoters, assistants, and vasectomists. See his blog at "A
Healthier Haiti". Randy has his own
ambulance service and lives and works part-time at Hopital
St. Francois de Sales (more later). |
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| Despite
efforts at promoting vasectomy by "experts from the USA", we had
only one patient in Cap Haitien, so it was important to show
NNNSVs by video to maximize efficiency of teaching in the OR. |
Dr. Dugue
ties the pink gown of Dr. Suarez. |
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| In the procedure room, the
operating table is broken and cannot be elevated. In addition, the
operating light is not working, so Dr. Stein uses a battery-powered
headlight when he demonstrates use of the MadaJet for no-needle
anesthesia. |
Finally a procedure light
arrives. The low table is fine for Dr.Suarez to demonstrate the
3-finger NSV technique ... |
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| ... but at 6'8",
urology resident Dr. Jory Desir has to bend at the waist almost 90
degrees. |
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| Dr. Suarez helps Drs.
Lolagne and Dugue (left and center) lift the vas into position
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then guides Dr. Dugue in
dividing the vas. |
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| Our
vasectomy team gathered around Dr. Jean Gracia Coq (center), Directeur
Medical Hopital Universitat Justinien. |
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| Drs. Ramon
Suarez, Fritz Lolagne, Guy Dugue, Jory Desir (Urology Resident),
Getho Dube (the only urologist in northern Haiti), and Obelson
Revolus. |
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| Obelson
Revolus, MD, Guy Dugue, MD, Juline Mauricette (CHHNST), Randy Moore,
RN, Fritz Lolagne, MD, Ramon Suarez, MD, and Ralph Louis (CHHNST).
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As mentioned above, Randy Moore
has his own ambulance and 911 service. |
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Randy immediately appreciated the simplicity of
NNNSV and how valuable it could be to Haiti, where aid can barely
keep up with population growth. He asked us to consider using the
hospital/clinic where he stays as a vasectomy site. When we said,
"Let's take a look!", he said "Jump in," and were were off through
the streets of Cap Haitien in his ambulance and our MSH SUV, always careful not to
drive into the deep drain sewers that border so many streets. |
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A few miles west of Cap on National Highway 1
in Veudreuil, we came to Hopital St. Francois de Sales. |
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Father _______ _______ runs the show and Randy is the Medical
Director. |
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The facilities are superb, with a modern
operating room and open-air waiting area. Hopefully, in the
near future, these chairs will be full of men waiting for us
to simplify their lives (and the lives of their partners)
through vasectomy. |
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During our return to the city, the day grew
dark and the skies opened up with a torrential downpour, flooding
the streets and delaying our entry into a restaurant serving
traditional Haitian fare. By the end of the feast, the rain had
subsided, the flooded streets had drained, and we had an easy ride
back to Hotel Mont Joli. |
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On to September
3, Day 5 - Fermathe |
Third trip to Haiti: May/June 2011
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