The Stigma around Haiti & the Reality

Disclaimer: Certain details/names changed and conditions deidentified to protect patient privacy. All photos taken and shared with consent of subjects; for minors, parent/guardian approval was obtained.

Haiti scares people. Without fail, when I was telling people about my then-upcoming trip in July, the main sentiments I would hear were not those of excitement for me, but rather fear for my safety. “Is it safe enough?”, I would hear. “Haiti is too dangerous - haven’t you heard about the #4 travel advisory ranking? I’d be careful about that.” From the protests in Port-au-Prince to the travel advisory ranking and articles highlighting how undesirable the country is for tourism, Haiti has received extremely negative publicity. It’s easy to read these articles and think that that’s all there is to the little country that had that big earthquake in 2010. But what people don’t realize is that Haiti’s political turmoil and the day-to-day struggles of its people are even more reason to travel there. This bad publicity has overshadowed the desperate need of Haitian citizens for care. 

Our drive from Port au Prince to Jacmel highlighted some of Haiti’s key structural issues. The roads were unpaved and bumpy, some overflowing with water, and the houses were made of concrete, just like they were before the earthquake in 2010. Since then, the Haitian government has barely made an effort, if at all, to improve infrastructure, and as a result, the people have had to rebuild everything themselves. They do not have the resources available to invoke preventative change, so if another earthquake of similar magnitude were to occur, the aftermath would be identical. I was taken aback by the blatant poverty and lack of drive for improvements for the future; these people were really just getting by.

Haiti’s political climate has also affected the healthcare system. Public healthcare is unaccommodating and sparse, so the people rely on non-profits, like Angel Wings International, and small hospitals for help. Working and shadowing in both of these settings opened my eyes to the lack of universal care in the country. 

When you visit a hospital in Haiti, like we did one Friday, the first thing you see is the people lined up outside, many of whom who have slept there overnight or traveled miles on foot to get there. At Cayes-Jacmel, a local hospital, I chose to shadow and assist the single OB-GYN in the entire hospital, who would examine pregnant women, listen to the fetal heartbeat, normally prescribe them iron pills and multivitamins, and call in the next patient. He saw over 100 patients daily, whereas the average OB-GYN in the US sees less than 100 patients per week. Seeing situations like this made me feel that I was truly making a difference when I was working in the clinic or going out into the community to do home visits for patients, many of whom did not even realize they required medical help. Extra hands were needed, and though there were only 5 student volunteers, we helped address that need.

The culmination of our trip was when we traveled an hour into the mountains with all of the clinic’s medication and supplies to set up a mobile clinic in a church located in Lavale. The members of the Lavale community do not receive medical care unless we travel and bring our resources to them, so the experience was extremely valuable as we knew we were making a big difference in these people’s lives. One room was the doctor’s office, one became the pharmacy, and a region outside was dedicated to triage where I was working to take people’s blood pressure, pulse, and temperature. In five hours, we saw approximately 120 patients, many of whom who had hypertension, hyperglycemia, UTIs, skin infections, parasites, and more, and we used up a lot of the medication we brought.

Overall, my medical volunteer work in Haiti was unlike any experience I’ve ever had. I learned about common diseases and ailments in the area, was able to practice my French and learn Creole, engaged in Haitian culture, did triage work, shadowed doctors, and solidified my love of medicine and caring for others. I couldn’t think of a better culmination of my passions, and I cannot wait to return in the coming years.