Haiti Earthquake Relief Projects

In the aftermath of the January 12th earthquake, Real Medicine is moving forward with a comprehensive long-term strategy for sustainable health services development in Haiti to help rebuild its shattered public health system.

Our work during the initial weeks was focused on the provision of volunteer medical staffing, in-kind medical supplies and strategic coordination to help meet the surging needs of the health crisis on the ground. Working in close partnership with other relief organizations, we:

  • Organized deployments of volunteer medical specialists to meet the needs of partner hospitals and clinics at the Haiti/Dominican Republic border and in Port-au-Prince.
  • Provided direct funding, medical supplies and pharmaceuticals to local health facilities and partner hospitals. 
  • Provided advisory services and coordination to local health facilities, including physical therapy support.
  • Coordinated mobile health outreaches, field clinics and food supplies to outlying villages overlooked in the relief effort.

Since those initial days, Real Medicine has re-focused on sustainable health services development projects to meet the long-term healthcare needs of the local population.

In this effort, we have coordinated the setup of a primary healthcare clinic in the Pernier neighborhood, east of the center of Port-au-Prince that is currently running under Haitian management and staffing, bringing healthcare access to more than 15,000 local Haitians. Our focus on the development of basic healthcare will continue, as we work to establish additional clinics in critically underserved regions. 

In addition, RMF entered into a partnership with Hôpital Lambert Santé in Pétion-Ville supporting their operations through a Free Clinic by funding additional physicians, nurses and medical supplies, and to help support public access to 24-hour emergency and general practice healthcare in the community. Pétion-Ville and the surrounding communes are home to more than 100,000 displaced persons, living in tent communities.
 RMF presented a comprehensive health strategy for Haiti to the White House and other government agencies, multi-national organizations and NGOs in an effort to raise funding and awareness. Our Hospital Consortium Project proposal includes three public/private partner hospitals in Port-au-Prince, calling for designating core health services responsibilities for each facility and building a comprehensive platform for subsidized public healthcare coverage in the local community.
 

Initiative Updates

March 19, 2010
Pernier Clinic – Real Medicine has completed the initial setup and transition of the Pernier clinic over to local management. Currently, the clinic is in the process of completing the identification and hiring of a core staff of local...
March 12, 2010
  Joshua hasn’t always had this much attention. He was found after the earthquake hit by some rescue workers who were searching through the rubble for survivors. Joshua was significantly dehydrated,...
March 10, 2010
Additional humanitarian assistance needed for increasingly strained host families. Large parts of population leaving Port-au-Prince and putting a huge strain on underequipped communities in both outlying and border areas. Shelter and...
March 1, 2010
Number one issue is provision of adequate shelter/housing. Food assistance moving into second surge phase with food baskets. Decongestion of settlement camps and creation of adequate sanitation is top priority. Rubble/Debris removal...