After determining that the Port-Au-Prince airport would be open to commercial air traffic, HOM decided to move ahead with its scheduled spring mission trip. Thirty five hearty souls volunteered for the trip. Over 2 tons of medical supplies, medicines, and construction equipment were taken by the group as luggage, with personal belongings limited to small carryon bags.
The group departed Detroit at 6:30 Friday morning, and arrived in Mirebalais late on Friday afternoon. Saturday and Sunday were consumed by unpacking and sorting all the supplies and equipment, and organizing the pharmacy. During the next week, work included the following activities:
The St. Pierre Clinic, which operates normally with a full-time physician and dentist, was augmented with several doctors, nurses and a dentist, who saw nearly 1,500 patients.
Simultaneously, 3 doctors and several nurses traveled to three remote locations in the countryside with a mobile medical clinic. They saw nearly 600 patients during the week.
A dental hygiene and fluoride team provided tooth brushes/tooth paste, a lesson in oral hygiene, and a fluoride treatment to nearly 1,700 area school children, including 430 children outside Mirebalais. An anti-parasite medication was also given to all these children, and all were checked and treated for skin lesions and major medical needs as necessary.
A construction team installed new light protection fixtures at St. Blase Orphanage, revamped the new water system at the orphanage (including adding an ozonater), rewired St. Pierre school (800 students) so that reliable power is available, cleaned and streamlined the water system at St. Pierre clinic, and evaluated local conditions for future projects.
It was apparent from the increase in school enrollment (about 15%), that a substantial number of earthquake victims had come to Mirebalais for food and shelter. Local residents estimated this influx to be in the neighborhood of 15,000-20,000 people. However, there was little or no evidence of “tent cities” or other population overflow, perhaps indicating that these people have found refuge with friends and relatives.
Everyone returned home safe and sound Friday, thankful for the opportunity to share time and resources with our brothers and sisters in Mirebalais, and with gratitude for the lessons learned through our relationships in Mirebalais.
