Calls mission clinic “one of the best in the area” of Northwest Haiti
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saint-Louis du Nord, Haiti — A story aired on CBS News Saturday highlighting the efforts of Northwest Haiti Christian Mission’s medical clinic to help meet the enormous health needs in the country’s Northwest Department.
The piece, which was shown on the CBS Evening News, outlines Haiti’s dire public health climate even before the January 12 earthquake that destroyed most of the health-care infrastructure in Port-au-Prince. CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook calls NWHCM’s clinic “one of the best in the region,” noting, however, that both public hospitals and NGOs must be better equipped to fully address the country’s medical problems.
In the piece, LaPook tells the story of NWHCM’s medical staff having to share an oxygen machine between a premature baby and an expectant mother experiencing labor complications, because only one machine was available.
“The reality is that even the best-equipped NGO hospitals in Haiti have to make very hard decisions every day because resources are so limited, compared with hospitals in the United States,” said Andy Olsen, NWHCM media director. “LaPook’s story underscores the huge need for greater financial support of medical ministries in Haiti, and the need for governments to invest in Haiti’s public health infrastructure.”
NWHCM has been providing free and low-cost medical care in Northwest Haiti for more than 20 years. It’s medical facilities are almost entirely staffed by trained Haitian doctors and nurses, and surgeries are offered at various times throughout the year by NWHCM’s many visiting surgery teams. Click here to learn more about NWHCM’s medical programs.
View more about LaPook’s reflections on his experience at NWHCM’s clinic.
Click here to view the full video segment on CBS.
Watch the Story :: Video Courtesy CBS News
Tags: News_General, News_Medical
