Haiti

Real Medicine’s free clinic at Lambert Santé in the Pétion-Ville suburb of Port-au-Prince has continued to service both post quake victims’ needs in follow-up surgical treatments and physical therapy.

Despite the interruption of other partnered funding (ALIMA) in August, the free care provided in this surgical clinic relies on both RMF’s participation and the surgical clinic’s own resources. RMF funding is providing resources, both with respect to medical supplies as well as medical personnel. At this time, we are employing 2 nurses and 3 residents to ensure some of the day and all of night time medical coverage.

It is the wish of the facility’s owner and Medical Director, Dr. Margaret Degand, that the free clinic stays open to continue to provide much needed care to the Haitian people. She considers this unit of her private surgical clinic a must and her participation in helping the victims of the January 12 earthquake and all others in the coming months of the hurricane season. Although the cost of medical supplies is rising and it is very difficult hiring medical personnel, she is still pursuing all avenues to keep the facility open, and giving all her own available time, day and night to ensure consults, procedures and surgeries.

Most of the free clinic’s activities through the RMF partnership consist of emergency trauma care and care of complications from trauma, as the clinic’s most prominent competencies include orthopedic and reconstructive surgery. Sometime general consults are also part of the provided care, but the majority of visits are walk-ins or referrals for trauma related injuries.

Lambert Santé Surgical Center/RMF Public Care Program relevant data:
• An average of 12.5 visits a week were seen during the month of August and of 7.5 in September
• A total of 75 visits at the Free Clinic were recorded for the month of August
• A total of 45 visits for the month of September

In August 2010:

• 5% of RMF sponsored patients were hospitalized and operated on
• 50% of RMF patients were urgent care
• 45% were outpatient care

In September 2010:

• 36% of RMF sponsored patients were hospitalized and operated on
• 19% received emergency care
• 43% were outpatient care

Wound care and trauma related injuries represented around 50% of all consults during both months. Most of the surgical cases treated during August and September up to now, have been follow-up trauma cases (EX FIX and internal implants removal, mostly). No reconstructive surgery cases were done during this period.