St Nicholaus Hospital

We are hosting a nurse from Canada, Deb Bachman, who came to work in St Marc for a week or so. She's at the hospital and has spent her time trying to save patients, organize and teach wound care. Everyday, there has been a trauma. On her first day, which was what day? I've lost track. Her first patient died, then her last patient. Her last patient was a baby, four months old. When the child seemed to be slipping from life, she was too young to be life flighted out to the big hospital ship because the rule is five years old and over. So, they took her by UN ambulance to Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Des Chapples. That's about an hour and a half from here over rather good roads and they went there because they have neonatal equipment. (Interesting story about this hospitals' origin, the book is called Song of Haiti). The baby died. Deb came home really heavy with the burden. But, when you've done all you can, you've done all you can and that baby is in the hands of the Lord, never to see the suffering in this country particularly and in life in general.

Deb doesn't have a phone, so everyday, Gary goes to the hospital at 5 to pick her up and everyday, Gary doesn't return with Deb for a long time, because Deb is not free to leave due to the work at hand. Last night it was a man with congestive heart failure. She needed oxygen for him. Asked for it, no one moved. She asked again, until the answer came that the only oxygen was in the surgical suite, so they wheeled the bed into that section and when they hooked up the oxygen nothing came out. There was oxygen in the tank but the valve was broken. Of course, the man died, and Deb was again burdened.

A pregnant woman from the quake was pulled from debris with a couple compound fractures, all had been cared for, she went into labor, delivered her baby and died. I understand they are doing C-sections at bedside, when necessary.

Every section of the hospital has a mix of people from the earthquake and people who just need medical attention. She said they finally got everyone banded so they knew who was who to keep straight who gets what. There have been good doctors come in and the Haitian staff has been great, it's just not the norm for those who've been trained in North America, and difficult to find ones footing in the situation. But, as Deb says, "Everyday it gets a little better." She's speaking of organization because everyday, it gets a little harder. Wound care is the big thing right now with those in the quake who've had amputations or compound fractures.

Diana Moreno and possibly Brian Moreno are coming in on the 12^th to take over where Deb leaves off. Perhaps they will come into a more organized situation so that what they do will be constant patient care and not the burden of organization. Please pray for Deb and for the Moreno's and all medical people, including the Haitians that are learning as they go about things they would have never learned in their schooling.