Haiti - Shada Clinic

The last clinical day was spent at one of the poorest areas in Cap Haitian. Shada is located on the river that runs through Cap Haitian. We pulled up to the area where we were going to set up the clinic. The view was incredible! The river was to our left and the mountains rose steeply behind it. That amazing view was breath-taking, but the view was masked by the stench and the garbage found everywhere.

In order to get to the clinic, we had to jump over a large canal, which was their makeshift sewer system. The room we were in was very small. Four stations were set up to treat patients, but there was barely any room to maneuver. On the other clinical days, we had been blessed with space. On top of the close quarters, it was one of the hottest days. We handed out numbers to patients, so there would not be any cutting or fights that would break out over who was being seen in what order. We handed out 50 numbers and there were still many more people waiting outside.

We saw a mix of adults and children, extracted teeth, and placed sealants. The patients in this location had a great need for dental care. We could have spent every day at this location and still have had patients who needed us. After we finished our clinical work we headed we got a tour of  the town, the houses were basically shacks made out of concrete with tin roofs. Afterwards, we had some time to play soccer with the children who lived there.

Me, Dr. Suzko, Seth, Derrick, and Anna

Overall, the trip was a great experience! I was able to experience Haitian culture, spend time with Derrick and Seth, work on my dental skills, and also enjoy some good weather. We're planning on making dental mission trips to other countries in the future!