Persistence Amidst Political Unrest

The clinic in Jerusalem, Haiti has been rocked by the onset of violent protests in the wake of President Moise’s refusal to leave office. The protests, on top of the pandemic, have made consistent care in Jerusalem incredibly difficult. Still, Dr. Fiquita and her team, which consists of Community Healthcare Workers (CHW), Esther Paul and Pauliene Delphin, and Milton, who oversees the grounds, persist despite the dangers, adapting care with ingenuity and courage. They are a beacon of safety and resilience in the community, who has come to rely on them for consistent care.

In January and February, Dr. Fiquita was able to see approximately 100 patients, 60% of whom were returning patients. The health care workers made the home visits providing wound care, checking blood pressures and glucoses, monitoring pregnant women and doing postnatal visits. If the trip to Jerusalem is too perilous for Dr. Fiquita, she communicates with the health care workers who can function as physician extenders and carry out her recommendations. The health care workers have also been critical in the efforts to educate the community about COVID-19.

 “Esther and Pauliene are being so helpful by doing home visits for follow-ups, wound care (when there’s supplies) and education,” said Dr. Fiquita. “We have to take every day at a time. When I can’t get there, we use telemedicine for patients coming for refills on their medication or to hear the results of recent exams.”

 Despite the team’s flexibility, however, the situation has grown dire. Because of the pandemic and violent unrest, the US-led teams have not been able to deliver medicine and the clinic has run out. The cost of buying the medication in-country is greatly inflated due to its scarcity and shipments are futile as they will be confiscated at customs.  All this, when the patients need care the most.

 “We see lots of patients with increased stress because of everything going on, and destabilized chronic conditions as a result of the stress,” said Dr. Fiquita. 

 Community Empowerment is hopefully that a team will be able visit in April, but it’s not certain and the patients need care now.  The plan is to buy in-country, despite the inflated price, so Dr. Fiquita and her team can obtain what they need. To do so, we need your help. Please consider a donation today so that care may continue in Jerusalem. Any amount is helpful. The community of Jerusalem has suffered enough and we believe that basic healthcare is a human right. Help us deliver this to them.  We appreciate your unwavering support during this time.