The Mizak Health Clinic was opened over a year ago by an organization called Haitian Artisans for Peace International. A group of "grassroot nurses" from Marcus, Iowa were the first team to start the clinic and it was a success. Since the clinic has opened, healthcare workers from the US have empowered the Mizak community through training Haitian healtcare workers. Now they have a hypertesion clinic and a program for malnurished children. Our dream is to help the Haitian's create a better Haiti with a sustainable clinic operated by the healthcare workers of Mizak. We are hoping to have a nursing school in the mountains someday.
This blog will help new US health care workers interested in volunteering at the Mizak Clinic find information. This will also help former nurses that are already involved to network and share information.
Hello My name is Yvette and I am a Canadian from Ontario Canada. We were the 1st Canadian team to be in Mizak or Musac as the Haitians call it. I was the medical person on our team of 10 and found this to be a very rewarding but humbling experience. The peoples of Musac are very warm and welcoming and welcome the "blanches" as they call us. I do understand some French, but learning some Creole would definately be an asset. I found that I worked with the staff there as it is their clinic and I acted as their advisor and this went very smoothly. I found that teaching is the main focus for health professional who go there.I as a lone health professional was the nurse, doctor & pharmacist all wrapped up into one package, so if you go with a team of all medical staff, this would not be the case, but if you travel by yourself or a team and you are the only medical profession, be prepared to assist with the roles. I also noticed that if anyone is going down..there is a lack of antibiotics and a need for sharps containers as they were just putting sharps in garbage bags to throw out.I enjoyed my 10 days there but there is much to be done especially teaching and it will take at least a generation for the peoples to understand.
Hello
ReplyDeleteMy name is Yvette and I am a Canadian from Ontario Canada. We were the 1st Canadian team to be in Mizak or Musac as the Haitians call it. I was the medical person on our team of 10 and found this to be a very rewarding but humbling experience.
The peoples of Musac are very warm and welcoming and welcome the "blanches" as they call us. I do understand some French, but learning some Creole would definately be an asset.
I found that I worked with the staff there as it is their clinic and I acted as their advisor and this went very smoothly.
I found that teaching is the main focus for health professional who go there.I as a lone health professional was the nurse, doctor & pharmacist all wrapped up into one package, so if you go with a team of all medical staff, this would not be the case, but if you travel by yourself or a team and you are the only medical profession, be prepared to assist with the roles. I also noticed that if anyone is going down..there is a lack of antibiotics and a need for sharps containers as they were just putting sharps in garbage bags to throw out.I enjoyed my 10 days there but there is much to be done especially teaching and it will take at least a generation for the peoples to understand.