Healing Art Missions’ (HAM) commitment to providing primary health care in the rural community of Dumay took a major step forward in 2017 when we sent two nurses from the Dumay community to train for one year with Midwives for Haiti in the Central Plateau city of Hinche.
Ange-Carmelle Jean, Nurse Midwife, with a new arrival.
Gerilus Eltude, Nurse Midwife, covers 24 hour shifts at the Safe Birthing Center.
The two local nurses that we enrolled in the program in Hinche, Marie Fleur and Joel, graduated in 2018, returning to Dumay to start HAM’s Safe Birthing Program. The program offers comprehensive prenatal and postnatal care open 5 days a week, while OB/Delivery and rehydration services are available 24/7. In April, 2019 we hired an OB/GYN doctor from Croix-des Bouquets to help care for high risk patients and manage surgical care for both the obstetrical and gynaecological needs of our patients. As the program became established, we quickly realized the space at the existing Dumay Clinic building was not adequate to meet the needs of its growing number of patients. We have recently completed construction of an entire new building adjacent to the Dumay Clinic building, our new Safe Birthing Center where we have individual exam and birthing rooms, as well as sleeping quarters for the midwives while they cover 24-hour shifts. To meet the demands of providing 24/7 OB/Delivery and rehydration services, we needed to hire an additional two midwives. Last year, in 2021, the Safe Birthing Program had 1,471 patient visits with 62 healthy births and 158 pre and post-natal visits. In the first quarter of 2022, there have been 288 patient visits and 18 deliveries.
We’d now like to introduce you to our two new Nurse/Midwives.
Ange-Carmelle Jean was born in Jacmel on the south coast of Haiti, but now resides in Port au Prince. She is married, and does not yet have children. Ange-Carmelle says she chose her career because she wants to contribute to reducing the rate of maternal and infant mortality in her country.
Gerilus Eltude is originally from Cap Haitian in the north coast of Haiti. She currently lives in Tabarre, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, with her parents and sisters, of which she is the eldest. Gerilus is single and has no children. She says she has chosen this field of work to be able to help others and to follow her heart.
HAM is excited to welcome these two new Nurse/Midwives onto our team.