Healing Art Missions has been operating a surgical program in the Department of Nippes for nearly a year. As you may recall, this program started out as a short-term emergency relief program in response to the August 2021 earthquake, but then evolved into a long-term commitment once we realized there was an ongoing need for surgical and safe birthing care.
After spending time at the hospital where HAM is providing services, Hôpital Sainte Thérèse de Miragoâne, Dr. Jacques recognized that there were neither resident surgeons, nor anesthesiologists on staff and that HAM was the only organization providing surgical services in the Nippes region.
For this reason, Dr. Jacques has focused on building relationships with medical providers in the Department of Nippes and HAM is well-positioned to pivot our programming there. From this point forward, Dr. Jacques will continue to build the surgical program at Hôpital Sainte Thérèse, while also exploring additional medical partners and ways we can serve the community.
Dr. Jacques has identified a great need for specialty medical services in the Nippes region and feels that there is an opportunity for HAM to fill important gaps in care coverage for the vulnerable people who live there.
In spite of our recent setback in Dumay, HAM remains focused on finding a way to help the people of Haiti. These are difficult times for Haitians, and we remain committed to not looking away as they as they suffer, grieve loss, and live in fear. We are not giving up hope for Haiti’s future and we will continue to try to make a difference however and wherever we can.
We are grateful that you, our friends and supporters, have been on this journey with us thus far, and we ask you to stay with us as we find new ways to work with Haitian communities and people. We truly appreciate your support and patience as we navigate this time of transition and look forward to sharing more about our work in Nippes as the program develops.