English
Many people have already taken heart and supported the work of medi for help. Together we are giving Haitians a piece of the future – and the opportunity to shape this autonomously.
medi-intern-2018-02-mfh-05 (1)A strong team: The orthopaedic technicians, the former medi for help workshop manager Ralf Jungblut (right), and his successor Fabiola Jean Pierre (centre).
In January 2010, the earth shook in Haiti – more than 200,000 Haitians lost their lives and over 300,000 were injured, some severely. The tragedy in the Caribbean state was the initial spark for the relief project medi for help. The organization has already provided aid to over 6,700 Haitians. In addition to acute life-saving measures, medi for help also provided help for self-help from the outset by training local people to become orthoaedic technicians. One particularly encouraging success: since 2017, the workshop in Deschapelles has been managed for the first time by a Haitian, the orthopaedic technician Fabiola Jean Pierre.
With an off-road vehicle, which is used as a ‘mobile clinic’ to provide care for patients from outlying areas, and now a second workshop in Port-au-Prince, medi for help has become a reliable partner for the Haitians. This year, medi has succeeded in bringing Össur on board for the relief project and ensuring that patients are provided with prosthetic legs. In addition, medi is co-operating with the university in Léogâne, where training of nurses in the areas of lymphology and wound care has recently started. The first twelve alumni are already performing valuable work in the treatiment of lymphology and wound care. Thanks to the commitment of many donors and the willingness of local people to help, together with the Haitians, is looking to the future optimistically.