{"id":37,"date":"2021-03-05T14:17:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T13:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.medi-for-help.com\/en\/news-und-aktuelles\/medi-for-help-jahresbericht-2020\/"},"modified":"2021-11-10T10:43:50","modified_gmt":"2021-11-10T09:43:50","slug":"medi-for-help-annual-report-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.medi-for-help.com\/en\/news-and-updates\/medi-for-help-annual-report-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"medi for help \u2013 Annual Report 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dear friends of the orthopaedic care center of medi for help and the Albert-Schweitzer-H\u00f4pital<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Unfortunately, the Corona pandemic has also reached Haiti. The first infections were detected in late February 2020. For the first time in eleven years, the medi for help workshop had to close its gates for several weeks. The risk of a rapid spread of the virus is particularly high in Haiti. Many people cannot comply with the restrictions on leaving their homes, because they would otherwise have no income. Due to chronic pre-existing conditions like malnutrition and infections (tuberculosis, etc.), the course of the disease is far more severe than in Germany.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Infection precautions in daily work, Dr. Jovania Dambreville. Photo: Frederick Alexis, Haiti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The corona pandemic has hit the poorest people the hardest! <\/strong>However, we were also concerned about the particularly vulnerable on-site staff. With our partners\u2019 support, we quickly procured protective clothing and masks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To protect both the patients and our team, we closed the orthopaedic workshop. The focus shifted to establishing a COVID-19 center.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Thanks to the quality of its medical care and its experience during the cholera epidemic (over 7,100 hospitalizations), the Haitian government named the HAS a COVID-19 center. The former cholera ward outside the hospital has been renovated and converted to accommodate corona-infected patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To limit contact and possible transmission of the virus, all suspected cases are referred to the COVID-19 center for assessment and treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early March, a COVID-19 contingency plan<\/strong> for mitigating the effects of the coronavirus was activated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The emergency response included the following measures:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Treatment and tests<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To date, 100 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been treated, with nine deaths. The HAS lacks the capacity to offer its own tests. The Haitian Ministry of Health has assigned a health officer to manage the testing process for all suspected cases.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Testing process and documentation at the HAS. Photo: www.hashaiti.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Explanation and containment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Because there is a lot of fear and stigma surrounding the coronavirus in rural Haiti, the HAS has deployed a robust communication and awareness strategy. Community health workers received thorough COVID-19 training and used megaphones to provide local and neighboring communities with information, to exchange messages about improving hygiene, and to increase social distancing. The hospital and orthopaedic care center enforced emergency protocols and containment procedures to reduce transmission of the virus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Hand-washing stations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Additional hand-washing stations have been installed in the hospital, medi for help care center, on the campus and in the surrounding communities, and more tiltable water containers and hand-washing devices that enable contactless hand washing have been made available. More than 300 hand-washing stations and 139 tiltable water containers have been installed in and around the service community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Surface-disinfecting agents and other disinfectants<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19 caused a critical shortage on the market of bleach and all other surface disinfectants, even though these were sorely needed in hospitals and health centers across Haiti. Donor-funded upgrades to the water system included the addition of a MIOX (Mixed Oxidants) water purification system, which was used to produce a surface disinfectant 2.5 times more effective than chlorine\/bleach. Producing the disinfectant is a cost-effective process, at three US dollars per gallon (one gallon equals around 3.79 liters), with a production volume of up to 200 gallons per day. Since March the HAS has delivered over 3,000 gallons of disinfectant throughout the healthcare system, as well as to the local police station, churches and schools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Oxygen therapy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oxygen therapy, along with fever control and hydration, is the main treatment for COVID-19 patients in Haiti. The HAS has been able to produce and store oxygen on site for a long time, but the oxygen generators are showing their age. Thanks to the generosity of the partners, the Caris Foundation and USAID, it was possible to install a new high-capacity oxygen generator that will ensure a reliable supply of oxygen for COVID-19 treatments and other needs in the years to come.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Continuation of basic utility services<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The pandemic also brought municipal activities to a standstill. Under the new health regulations and procedures of the Ministry of Health and the new established COVID-19 protocols of the HAS, the plumbing, water and hygiene program fully resumed its activities in May 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Departure and arrival of orthopaedic aids from \u00d6ssur in Haiti.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Photo: www.medi.de<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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While treating and containing COVID-19 was the foremost concern, the medi for help orthopaedic care center provided important health services after reopening, albeit at a reduced level to comply with all measures of the emergency plan. We are facing major changes, which the care center must adapt to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n