Tuesday

St Therese Hospital, Hinche Haiti

This is looking into labor and delivery. Resources are always in short supply. Yesterday, there was no IV tubing. Last week, we ran out of pitocin (a medication needed to help control postpartum hemorrhage). Today, there was no soap (anywhere in the hospital). Women bring their own sheet to put under them for delivery. I brought a bunch of new wash cloths with me and give one to each woman laboring. After she uses it in labor, it may be recycled as a diaper for her newborn. Nothing goes to waste.

Postpartum unit. 

 

Looking into one of 3 PP rooms. The fans on the wall were provided by Midwives for Haiti. They are a luxury at St Therese. 

Today, I chased a hen and her chicks out of this room.

Weighing a newborn. 

Yesterday I did 6 week PP visits. Every baby I saw had gained adequate weight on breastmilk alone. Yes!

Trash: it's a very big problem here. There is no trash removal anywhere in Haiti. Nor is there money to pay for trash removal. So trash is dumped and sometimes burned. I pass this dumping area on my walk home from the hospital. It is always visited by goats looking for a meal.